Left parties slam Centre over police action on student march, demand Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation

Left parties on Monday strongly condemned police action against students participating in the CJP's "Sansad Chalo" march in New Delhi. Leaders demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the scrapping of NTA, and the withdrawal of NEP 2020

New Delhi: Left parties on Monday condemned the police action against protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Sansad Chalo” march, accusing the BJP-led Centre of suppressing democratic dissent and reiterating their demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Senior CPI(M) leaders, including general secretary M A Baby, Brinda Karat and Politburo members Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar and Mariam Dhawale, joined the protest at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with students demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities.

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In a series of posts on X, the CPI(M) alleged that the government had responded to peaceful protests with force.

“Every lathi charge, every tear gas shell, every welded barricade, every sealed metro station is a confession of the BJP government’s fear. A government that cannot face its own youth, answer their questions, or engage with their demands is a cowardly government,” the party said.

It also shared photographs of injured Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists, alleging they were assaulted while participating in a peaceful demonstration.

“Every bruise is evidence of a government that has chosen force over answers,” the CPI(M) said, renewing its demands for Pradhan’s resignation, the scrapping of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and withdrawal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) also condemned the police action.

“Brutal police lathi charge on peacefully protesting students at Jantar Mantar. Cowards who destroyed the education system of the country are hiding behind police barricades today,” the party said in a post on X.

CPI general secretary D Raja alleged that the use of force against protesters reflected the government’s “utter contempt for democracy”.

“Brutal lathi charge on students, the welding of seven-foot barricades, the closure of Metro stations with students inside, and the deployment of overwhelming police force against peaceful protesters expose the BJP government’s utter contempt for democracy. Democracy is sustained through dialogue, not repression,” Raja said.

He alleged that students had been forced onto the streets because the government had refused to address concerns over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and accused it of shielding Pradhan instead of fixing accountability.

The Left parties have been extending support to the CJP-led agitation, which is demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of the Union education minister.