'Do You Want PM Modi to Resign?' Masked Men Assault Bengaluru Teen For Joining NEET Protest

Published 31 July 2026 · local

'Do You Want PM Modi to Resign?' Masked Men Assault Bengaluru Teen For Joining NEET Protest Published By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 08:39 IST

'Do You Want PM Modi to Resign?' Masked Men Assault Bengaluru Teen For Joining NEET Protest Published By, Last Updated: July 31, 2026, 08:39 IST Led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the demonstration at Delhi's Jantar Mantar culminated last week with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union Education Minister A visual from the CJP protests in Delhi | Image credit: REUTERS A 19-year-old student, who had reportedly participated in recently concluded protests over the paper leak controversy linked to the NEET-UG 2026, was allegedly assaulted by four masked men near BEL Circle in Bengaluru’s Jalahalli on Thursday night, July 30. Spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar culminated last week with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union Education Minister –– a key demand put forth by the protestors.

According to the victim’s complaint, accessed by CNN-News18, he was taking a walk after dinner when four unidentified men arrived on a motorcycle and abused him. They allegedly asked the victim: “Do you want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign?" before assaulting him. The assailants reportedly hit him on the leg with a wooden log before fleeing the spot, leaving him with a severe leg injury. The victim, who is associated with a student organisation, has lodged a complaint with the Jalahalli Police Station. Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and initiate an investigation into the incident. The victim had reportedly participated in a protest in Bengaluru over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. NEET-UG Protests Joined by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, the CJP kicked off a protest over the paper leak in the Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 in late June.

On June 28, Wangchuk announced an indefinite hunger strike as he sought broader educational reforms and demanded the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. However, on July 20, the protest took a decisive turn after the CJP’s call for the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, coinciding with the start of the Parliament’s monsoon session. The protest was joined by thousands of students from across the country, who pushed for the demands made by the CJP. As crowds swelled at the protest site, they defied a steady drizzle and police barricading to march towards the Parliament. This emerged as the biggest street protest in Prime Minister Modi’s third consecutive term. The agitation culminated with the resignation of Pradhan as the Union Education Minister and the government’s commitment to introducing education reforms to strengthen transparency and accountability in competitive examinations.