Mumbai Protests: 1,000 Gather At Shivaji Park Against NEET Paper Leak

The protests against the NEET paper leak in Mumbai escalated on its second day, with over 1,000 citizens and students gathering at Shivaji Park in Dadar on Tuesday evening. The demonstration was peaceful, despite the heavy police presence in the area.

The protests were driven by viral Instagram campaigns, with participants demanding justice for the 21 NEET aspirants who died by suicide and seeking accountability from the government. The movement was also inspired by the protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where police used excess force against protesters on Monday.

The Mumbai police had initially tried to thwart the protests by deploying heavy bandobast at Azad Maidan, where the demonstrations were initially slated to take place. However, the protesters shifted their venue to Shivaji Park, where the crowd quickly swelled to over a thousand. The police personnel stationed in the area were vastly outnumbered by the protesters.

One of the protesters, Faiz Abdulla, 30, said that he was compelled to participate in the protest after seeing the police crackdown on students in Delhi on Monday. He had learned about the protest through Instagram and had made an individual post asking people to join the gathering, which gained a lot of traction online.

Despite the lack of formal leadership, the protesters were organized, with volunteer lawyers remaining on the ground to offer legal aid to anyone facing detainment. The police booked around 900 people for participating in the unauthorized protests, filing 12 FIRs.

The protests in Mumbai are part of a larger movement against the NEET paper leak, which has sparked outrage across the country. The movement is being driven by young people, who are using social media to mobilize and organize protests.

The use of excess force by police against protesters in Delhi on Monday had sparked widespread condemnation, with many calling for accountability and justice for the victims. The protests in Mumbai and other parts of the country are a reflection of the growing anger and frustration among young people, who feel that the government is not doing enough to address their concerns.

The Mumbai police have been criticized for their handling of the protests, with many accusing them of using heavy-handed tactics to suppress the movement. However, the police have maintained that they are only trying to maintain law and order in the city.

The protests are likely to continue in the coming days, with many calling for justice and accountability for the NEET aspirants who died by suicide. The government has been urged to take immediate action to address the concerns of the protesters and to ensure that those responsible for the paper leak are held accountable.

In conclusion, the protests in Mumbai against the NEET paper leak are a reflection of the growing anger and frustration among young people in the country. The movement is being driven by social media and is likely to continue in the coming days, with many calling for justice and accountability for the victims.