Thousands protest in Lucknow over NEET exam mess, Cockroach Party chief joins
Thousands of competitive exam aspirants and teachers from across Uttar Pradesh gathered at Lucknow's Eco Garden on Friday to protest against recurring paper leaks, delays
Thousands of competitive exam aspirants and teachers from across Uttar Pradesh gathered at Lucknow's Eco Garden on Friday to protest against recurring paper leaks, delays in recruitment processes, irregularities in examination results, and prolonged legal hurdles affecting government job aspirants. Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief Abhijeet Dipke also arrived at the protest site with his supporters and addressed the gathering. However, the presence of CJP leaders triggered tension among sections of the protesters, with several participants objecting to the involvement of political outfits in what they described as a student-led movement. Read Full Story The demonstration, which drew participants from districts including Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Sultanpur, Barabanki, Amethi, Unnao and Hardoi, emerged as one of the largest student-led protests in recent months. Protesters demanded accountability and sweeping reforms in the examination and recruitment system. Addressing the gathering, Dipke described India as a nation shaped by movements and public protests, citing the freedom struggle and opposition to the Emergency as examples. Referring to alleged irregularities in examinations such as NEET, UP Police Sub-Inspector recruitment and Lekhpal examinations, he said those responsible should be held accountable and resign from their positions.
Soon after Dipke left the venue, organisers sought to distance the protest from any political affiliation, announcing that CJP had not been invited and reiterating that the demonstration was a student-led initiative organised under the banner of student activist Vivek Kumar. At Eco Garden Lucknow youths protesting, their demand is to keep our system corrected, government must take immediate action. pic.twitter.com/cvvGx1Sp9H— Advocate Sanjay Shakya (@shakya_adv69331) June 12, 2026 ASPIRANTS VOICE FRUSTRATION Students expressed anger over what they described as a persistent pattern of examination irregularities that has eroded confidence in the recruitment process. Roshan Kumar, an aspirant from Prayagraj, said paper leaks had become a recurring problem affecting the future of lakhs of students. "Whether it is NEET, UP Police Sub-Inspector recruitment, constable recruitment, Lekhpal examinations or teacher recruitment, controversies and irregularities continue to emerge. Students spend years preparing, only to see their efforts undermined," he said. Another protester, Hemant Pandey from Lucknow, alleged that corruption had become deeply entrenched in the system. "Nobody seems concerned about the future of young people. Students are repeatedly being made to suffer because of failures in the examination system," he said.
The BriefWire