Panaji, June 27: The Goa Pradesh Youth Congress on Saturday organised a Mashal March in Panaji demanding accountability for the alleged NEET paper leak and seeking the resignation or immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest, led by Goa Pradesh Youth Congress President Archit Naik, witnessed the participation of AICC Goa In-charge Manickrao Thakare, AICC Co-Incharge Dr. Anjali Nimbalkar, senior office-bearers of the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, Youth Congress leaders and party workers.

Addressing the gathering, Youth Congress leaders alleged that repeated irregularities in national-level examinations have severely undermined the confidence of students and parents in the country’s education system. They accused the BJP-led Central Government of failing to ensure a transparent and credible examination process and demanded strict action against those responsible for the alleged leak.

The protesters also called for greater accountability from the Union Education Ministry, insisting that students should not be forced to suffer because of administrative failures.

Carrying flaming torches and raising slogans, the demonstrators said the future of lakhs of students cannot be compromised and urged the Centre to restore faith in the examination system through transparency, accountability and justice.

The march concluded with a renewed appeal to safeguard the integrity of the country’s education system, with protesters declaring that students deserve fairness, not fraud.