Chandigarh :
Police detained several Youth Congress workers on Wednesday after they staged a protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during his visit to the city.
The protest took place near Sector 18, where Pradhan was attending a programme at Tagore Theatre organised to mark the anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975. The Youth Congress workers were protesting over the NEET examination paper leak controversy and raised slogans demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
According to police officials, the protesters attempted to move towards the venue despite being stopped and were taken into custody after they refused to disperse. The demonstrators had been called to gather in Sector 19 as part of a planned protest, but were intercepted by police before they could proceed further.
The Youth Congress alleged that their protest was peaceful and that the police prevented them from exercising their democratic rights. They said the agitation against the Union minister would continue until accountability is fixed in the NEET paper leak issue.
Meanwhile, Dharmendra Pradhan was participating in an event organised by the BJP to highlight the Emergency period. Addressing the gathering, he criticised the Congress for imposing the Emergency, calling it an attack on democratic institutions, fundamental rights and freedom of expression.
He said India’s democracy is the result of decades of struggle and sacrifice, and stressed the importance of remembering the Emergency so that future generations understand its impact on constitutional values.
The incident added a political edge to the programme, with the opposition targeting the minister over the NEET controversy while the BJP focused on highlighting the Emergency era.
