Hundreds of Congress workers on Thursday (May 21, 2026) marched towards the BJP State headquarters here to protest against the "irregularities" in the NEET-UG medical exam, with the police stopping them at barricades and using water cannons.

Carrying posters and placards, the protestors led by Pradesh Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Police used water cannons to disperse the protestors and stopped them at the Shaheed Smarak here. Many party workers climbed on the barricades and tried to jump to the other side.

Addressing party workers before the march, Mr. Dotasra alleged that repeated irregularities in the NEET examination had eroded public trust in the National Testing Agency (NTA).

"The NTA should be dissolved and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign," he said.

Mr. Dotasra said the Central government could not escape responsibility in the matter and demanded strict action against those involved in the alleged paper leak.

He also demanded that the investigation into the case, currently being conducted by the CBI, should take place under court supervision.

The Congress claimed that the future of nearly 22 lakh students had been affected due to the alleged leak.

The NEET-UG 2026 exam for admission to undergraduate courses in medical colleges, held on May 3, was cancelled two days later amid allegations of paper leak.

The government has asked the CBI to carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the "irregularities".