Hyderabad: A major demonstration disrupted Indira Park’s Dharna Chowk on Sunday as hundreds gathered to voice their frustration over nationwide examination irregularities. The protest, spearheaded by the newly formed satirical political group, the Cockroach Janta Party, focused heavily on the fallout from the NEET-UG paper leak controversy and computational errors plaguing the Central Board of Secondary Education’s on-screen marking system. Demonstrators targeted the National Democratic Alliance government, chanting slogans demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The expanding footprint of student unrest became evident as high-profile civil society figures lent their support to the Hyderabad chapter of the nationwide campaign. Notable climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk joined the gathering to lend his voice to the growing calls for comprehensive educational reform. Addressing the crowd alongside former bureaucrats, Wangchuk’s appearance bolstered the campaign’s core message demanding absolute transparency and structural accountability across central testing agencies.
The localized agitation is part of an ongoing multi-city tour planned by the student-led group, which initially emerged in New Delhi following controversial remarks made during legal proceedings regarding student activists. Having already held demonstrations across key cities including Pune and Lucknow, organizers intended to maintain pressure on central authorities before mobilizing a larger gathering in Bengaluru later in the evening. Local law enforcement officers monitored the site closely, confirming that official permission had been granted strictly for a peaceful morning assembly.
