Kolkata, July 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said that none of the 14 people arrested so far in connection with the violence during the July 24 protest against the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination-related irregularities were students.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister said the accused were identified through CCTV footage and video evidence and alleged that they had joined the protest while posing as student activists with the intention of triggering unrest.
“Those arrested are not students. They are fundamentalists whose only objective was to disturb peace in the state and the country,” Adhikari said.
He announced that all those arrested would be proceeded against under the newly enacted West Bengal Public Safety & Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026, which provides for stringent action against individuals involved in violent and anti-social activities.
According to the Chief Minister, the motive behind the violence may have extended beyond the issues raised by the organisers of the protest.
Adhikari suggested that the incidents could have been linked to resentment over recent actions taken by the state government, including the initiation of an investigation into unaffiliated (Khariji) madrasas, implementation of the Calcutta High Court’s ruling on Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates, enforcement of restrictions on public animal slaughter, and the introduction of rules under the state’s sound policy.
“It is possible that, out of anger over these developments, a group of miscreants carried out these acts,” he said.
Police have so far arrested 14 people in connection with the violence, including three held between Saturday night and Sunday morning. According to the police, around 70 individuals have been identified from video footage and other evidence for their alleged involvement in the clashes.
Seven FIRs have been registered in the case, including a suo motu complaint lodged by Kolkata Police. The violence occurred during a protest march jointly organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and the students’ and youth wings of various Left parties against the alleged NEET examination paper leak and other examination-related controversies.
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