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Akhilesh Yadav likens protest crackdown to the Emergency
The Hindu··29 Jul
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav told the Lok Sabha that police action against NEET paper leak protesters resembled the Emergency period, alleging spiked rods and electric batons were used against students. He said the government bowed to pressure by accepting former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, calling it a move that ultimately saved the Prime Minister.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Citizens following the anti-paper leak bill debate get insight into how the NEET protests are shaping this legislation's political framing.
- Voters evaluating opposition and government positions can compare how each side characterises the same police action differently.
- It shows how a single resignation, that of the education minister, is being used as a political argument by multiple parties.
What's Happening
- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav compared the police crackdown on NEET protesters to the Emergency period during a Lok Sabha debate.
- Yadav said the government bowed to student pressure, forcing former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation to protect the Prime Minister.
- Union minister Kiren Rijiju countered by asking whether it was better to listen to protesters or impose an Emergency.
One Word Both Sides Keep Invoking
- The exchange took place during debate on the Public Examinations Prevention of Unfair Means Amendment Bill, 2026.
- Yadav credited the student protests with turning the government more democratic by forcing it to allow the demonstrations to continue.
- He alleged spiked lathis and electric batons were used against protesters, a claim the government has not directly addressed in this debate.
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