‘Govt becoming more & more repressive’: 100s gather in CJP support

Bengaluru

As Delhi Police resorted to a lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells in an attempt to disperse demonstrators during the ‘Sansad March’ towards Parliament in Delhi, nearly 1,500 Bengalureans gathered at Freedom Park in a show of solidarity with the protesters in the national capital on Monday. The solidarity protest, organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Karnataka, drew citizens from diverse backgrounds who condemned the police action against the peaceful demonstrators, criticised the alleged illegal abduction of Sonam Wangchuk, and expressed concern over reports that “The government is becoming increasingly repressive and is revealing their fascist face”, said Harish Gopi of the All India Students’ Association (AISA).

He claimed that while citizens initially took to peaceful demonstrations, the movement gradually evolved to become more radical in response to what he described as the actions of the state. According to him, “the fascist state, Hindutva organisations, the police, and similar authoritarian systems are pushing people in that direction”. Harish argued that it is the state’s actions that compel people to launch larger movements of revolution. “We did not expect such a large turnout today, but we are happy that so many people came out onto the streets to express themselves”, he said, referring to the large turnout in the protest in Bengaluru.

AISA claimed it has been organising protests, demonstrations, signature campaigns and public meetings across the country, demanding accountability over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and comprehensive reforms to the public examination system. The student body further said that its members, along with activist Sonam Wangchuk, had been observing an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for the past 23 days. AISA also alleged that Wangchuk had been forcibly removed from the protest site by the police, describing the action as an attempt to suppress peaceful democratic dissent. “The system has failed us.

For the past month, we have been seeking a dialogue with the government, but the price people have had to pay simply to be heard by the government they elect, fund through their taxes, and expect to serve them has been far too high”, said Sachin Pokhrel, a protester. Referring to the alleged student suicides linked to examination-related issues, he added, “It is no small matter that so many students have taken their own lives and people are dying. It shows that the government is not taking our concerns seriously”.

The organisation reiterated its demands for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the withdrawal of the National Education Policy (NEP), the establishment of a transparent and accountable public examination system, and the protection of the constitutional right to peaceful protest.