Bhubaneswar: National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) activists Wednesday protested outside the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, demanding his resignation over the ongoing NEET paper leak controversy.
Members from NSUI, the student wing of Congress, took out a ‘mashaal’ (torch) march from ATM Square in Niladri Vihar towards Pradhan’s residence in the nearby area.
When the NSUI activists reached near Pradhan’s residence, police prevented them from proceeding, leading to a scuffle. The police detained several NSUI members, an officer said.
Today, Odisha has been defamed across the country because of the education minister. Many students across the country have died by suicide due to question paper leak incidents that took place during Pradhan’s tenure, alleged Aditya Pritam Das, an NSUI leader.
Holding Pradhan responsible for the alleged suicides of students following the question paper leak incidents, Das demanded his resignation.
If Pradhan does not step down, we would strongly protest during his visit to Odisha in the coming days, he said.
Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 and said the examination would be re-conducted June 21, 2026. The CBI is investigating the alleged question paper leak.
