Hundreds of Congress workers on Thursday marched towards the BJP state headquarters in Jaipur to protest against alleged irregularities in the NEET UG medical entrance examination, with police stopping them at barricades and using water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Some Congress workers suffered minor injuries during the protest and were taken to SMS Hospital, a party spokesperson said.
Carrying posters and placards, the protesters led by Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief Govind Singh Dotasra demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Police used water cannons near Shaheed Smarak after several Congress workers climbed barricades and attempted to cross over towards the BJP headquarters.
During the water cannon action, party workers lifted Dotasra on their shoulders.
Congress workers jostled with police personnel as they tried to prevent them from moving ahead.
Former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas sat on a dharna in front of the Police Commissionerate near Shaheed Smarak during the protest.
Women Congress workers were seen participating in the protest in large numbers besides some youths dressed as medical students.
Addressing party workers before the march, Dotasra alleged that repeated irregularities in the NEET examination had eroded public trust in the National Testing Agency (NTA). "The NTA should be dissolved and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign," he said.
Dotasra said the central government could not escape responsibility in the matter and demanded strict action against those involved in the alleged paper leak. He also demanded that the investigation into the case, currently being conducted by the CBI, should take place under court supervision.
Congress leader Abhishek Chaudhary alleged that the police were preventing youths from reaching the BJP headquarters and said the protesters would continue their agitation.
The Congress claimed that the future of nearly 22 lakh students had been affected due to the alleged leak.
The NEET (UG) 2026 examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses, held on May 3, was cancelled two days later amid allegations of paper leak.
The Centre has asked the CBI to conduct a comprehensive probe into the alleged irregularities in the examination.
(With inputs from PTI)