Congress Protest Over NEET Row Ends in Police Detentions, BJP Holds Counter Stir

AHMEDABAD : Political tensions escalated in Gujarat on Tuesday as the Congress intensified its protest over the alleged NEET paper leak, leading to a clash with police in Ahmedabad. Several Congress leaders and workers were detained after attempting to march from Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, while the BJP later staged a counter-protest at the same venue.

The Congress protest followed Rahul Gandhi’s demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi on Monday. Around 10 am, party workers gathered at Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan before taking out a rally.

As the procession reached a nearby intersection, police stopped the march, triggering a confrontation. Some Congress workers climbed onto a police vehicle, prompting officers to remove them. Police later detained leaders, including MLA Amit Chavda and Imran Khedawala, along with hundreds of workers in three buses.

Adding an emotional dimension to the protest, Prashant Patel, father of NEET aspirant Kahan Patel, who died by suicide before the examination, joined the demonstration.

“My son lost his life. I protested in Delhi, and today I have come to Ahmedabad to seek justice,” Prashant Patel said.

Later in the afternoon, the Gujarat BJP held a counter-protest outside Rajiv Gandhi Bhavan, led by state president Jagdish Vishwakarma. BJP workers raised slogans for nearly an hour before dispersing, as police maintained a tight security presence.