Bihar protests over NEET leak turn violent, police hurt

Widespread protests and violent clashes erupted across Bihar on Saturday, July 25, 2026, as a statewide shutdown called by student groups over the NEET examination controversy disrupted several districts. The demonstrations, demanding accountability for an alleged paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saw police use tear gas and batons to disperse crowds after incidents of stone-pelting, arson, and vandalism.

The unrest was most pronounced in Patna, Chapra, Siwan, and Aurangabad. In Patna, protesters gathered at locations including Gandhi Maidan and Ram Gulam Chowk, where they vandalized a traffic police booth and several police vehicles. Police responded with tear gas shells and detained multiple demonstrators. Janata Janshakti Dal president Tej Pratap Yadav joined the protest in Patna, expressing support for the students before being taken into custody. He stated that the children's demands were legitimate and that he stood firmly with them.

In Chapra's Saran district, protesters allegedly set a police van on fire and pelted stones at officers, prompting District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava and Senior Superintendent of Police Vineet...