Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Students Union (KSU), the student wing of the Indian National Congress (INC), has called for a statewide educational bandh on Thursday in protest against the Delhi Police’s action against students demonstrating at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET examination.

The organisation also condemned the police action against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition Members of Parliament during the protest, describing it as an example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “authoritarianism.”

KSU State President Aloysius Xavier said that students protesting against the irregularities in the NEET examination were “dragged through the streets” by the police.

As part of the bandh, KSU has called for a boycott of classes in educational institutions across Kerala and announced protest marches at district headquarters. The student organisation appealed to students and teachers to participate in the bandh in solidarity with the student community protesting across the country.

The alleged NEET paper leak and the subsequent police crackdown on protesters at Jantar Mantar and nearby areas have triggered nationwide protests over the past few days. Supporters of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have continued to gather in New Delhi, with the party claiming that more supporters would join the sit-in if the Centre failed to accept its demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Meanwhile, a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence also turned tense on Tuesday after Delhi Police detained Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and several Opposition MPs during the demonstration.