Mumbai, July 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led NDA government, alleging that the Centre faced political embarrassment during the prolonged youth protests over the NEET paper leak issue.
In an editorial published in its party mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray faction claimed that the 35-day agitation at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar exposed growing dissatisfaction among students and weakened the perception of the Narendra Modi government’s political dominance.
The editorial described the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the first major political consequence of the protests, alleging that public pressure forced the government to act despite its earlier reluctance.
Questioning the reason cited by Pradhan for stepping down, the editorial asked what “anti-national forces” were present among students and activists participating in the demonstrations. It argued that branding protesters as anti-national was an insult to genuine public concerns over examination irregularities.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) editorial highlighted the role of several individuals associated with the protest movement, including student leader Neha Bora, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijeet Dipke, who founded the “Cockroach Janata Party” campaign against paper leaks.
The party also targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the police response to protests, demanding accountability and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rejecting the Centre’s proposed Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, the editorial termed it a “gimmick”, alleging that stricter penalties alone would not address the causes behind examination leaks.
The Thackeray faction said the government must address systemic issues in the education sector and warned that public dissatisfaction among students would continue to grow if their concerns remained unresolved.
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