Delhi NEET Protest: Fadnavis Accuses Opposition, VBA Calls Maharashtra Bandh

Mumbai, 22nd July 2026: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday accused certain political parties of exploiting the ongoing protests in Delhi over the alleged NEET paper leak for political gain, claiming they were using the agitation to create unrest and further their own agenda.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis said the protest at Jantar Mantar, which has continued for nearly 20 days, turned violent on Monday after demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament. Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the crowd following incidents of violence and clashes.

The Chief Minister said every citizen has the constitutional right to protest in a democracy, but stressed that demonstrations should remain peaceful and be conducted with prior permission.

“Peaceful protests will always be permitted. However, attempts to create political instability through unauthorized protests and violence cannot be tolerated,” Fadnavis said.

He alleged that while some protesters may have had genuine concerns, several political parties and organizations with no direct connection to the issue had joined the agitation to pursue their own political interests.

According to Fadnavis, incidents including vandalism of police vehicles, overturning of vehicles and stone-pelting forced the police to intervene to maintain law and order. He maintained that the police acted with restraint and that timely intervention prevented the situation from worsening.

Meanwhile, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) president Prakash Ambedkar announced a Maharashtra bandh on July 23 to protest the police action against students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar. Ambedkar said the statewide shutdown would be peaceful and would be carried out with the support of various district-level and regional organizations.

Reacting to the incident, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray also criticised the Centre over the police action. In a post on X, he condemned the lathi charge on protesters and accused the government of suppressing democratic movements demanding justice.

The Delhi protest, launched over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, has sparked political reactions across the country, with the police action continuing to draw sharp responses from both the ruling party and the opposition.