Lucknow: National Students' Union of India (NSUI) workers on Sunday took out a march here against paper leaks in competitive examinations, including NEET, Lekhpal and Uttar Pradesh Sub-Inspector recruitment tests, and against the arrest of party workers raising the issue.
Led by NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar and Uttar Pradesh unit president Anas Rahman, the protesters began their march from the state Congress headquarters and headed towards Raj Bhavan.
The march was stopped by police through heavy barricading before Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg.
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Several protesters tried to climb the barricades in an attempt to move forward, following which police used force to disperse them.
The organisation claimed that one worker fell unconscious during the confrontation and was admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment.
Police detained several protesters and transported them in buses to Eco Garden, from where they were released in the evening, police said.
Addressing the protesters, Jakhar alleged that the BJP government had failed to conduct competitive examinations in a fair manner.
"NSUI workers are on the streets because the government has completely failed in conducting competitive examinations. We are protesting against the NEET paper leak across Uttar Pradesh and the country," Jakhar said.
Demanding accountability, he said the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign taking responsibility for the alleged irregularities.
"The deployment of a massive police force clearly shows that the BJP government is scared. The government is protecting paper leak mafias," he alleged.
Jakhar also referred to students who allegedly suffered due to examination irregularities and demanded financial compensation for the families of deceased students.
He further sought a ban on the National Testing Agency (NTA) and called for the immediate resignation of Pradhan.
Rahman said, "We are soldiers of Rahul Gandhi and we are not going to stop. This protest will continue. No matter how much action is taken against our workers, NSUI will keep raising the voice of students and unemployed youth."