GUWAHATI: A huge crowd of people gathered at Chachal in Guwahati on Thursday, July 23, to protest against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and express solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk and student protesters demanding education reforms.
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The protest began around 12 PM, with demonstrators calling for Pradhan's resignation over concerns related to the country's education system and repeated examination paper leak controversies.
The demonstration in Guwahati comes amid a nationwide movement led by Sonam Wangchuk, who has emerged as the face of youth-led protests seeking education reforms and the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s protest site at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Saturday and taken to a hospital, where he continues his hunger strike.
Despite a police crackdown on a march to Parliament earlier this week that left several protesters and police personnel injured, thousands have continued to gather at the protest venue in Delhi. The violence has sparked widespread public outrage and drawn support from Opposition parties, intensifying pressure on the Central government.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday posted a message on X that was widely seen as an attempt to address concerns raised by students over repeated examination paper leaks.
"Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth," the Prime Minister wrote, while announcing the government's decision to set up fast-track courts for paper leak cases and ensure stringent punishment for those found guilty.