CJP's protest 'nautanki' to defame govt, create anger in youth: Maharashtra Minister Bawankule
Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule dismissed the Cockroach Janata Party's anti-NEET protests as a manufactured drama intended to damage the reputation of the BJP government. He defended the Education Minister and questioned the motives behind the widespread student-led demonstrations.
Why it matters
The controversy surrounding NEET exam irregularities continues to fuel significant political unrest and public protests across India.
Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), termed the Cockroach Janata Party 's (CJP’s) massive anti-NEET protest a ‘nautanki’ (drama) and claimed that the widespread anger over exam irregularities was ‘manufactured’.
Defending Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the senior BJP leader attempted to deflect accountability by demanding a probe into alleged stone-pelting during the party's march, asking, "Did any of our Ministers leak papers? Did Chandrashekhar Bawankule or Dharmendra Pradhan leak any paper?"
His remarks came a day after Delhi Police and Central paramilitary forces used tear gas against thousands of protesters marching toward Parliament on the opening day of the monsoon session. Protesters demanding Pradhan's resignation were met with baton charges near Parliament Street as they attempted to push past police barricades.
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