After preventing the BJP from securing a majority in the Lok Sabha, the INDIA bloc is now strengthening its alliances. On Monday, the youth wings of the INDIA parties united under the ‘India Youth Front’ (IYF) to stage a protest at Jantar Mantar against alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) – an issue consistently raised by the INDIA parties, including in Parliament.

The demonstration saw participation from several organizations, including the Congress’s Indian Youth Congress, Aam Aadmi Party’s Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, CPI’s All India Youth Federation, IUML’s Youth Muslim League, Samajwadi Party’s Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, RJD’s Youth RJD, Pappu Yadav’s Jan Adhikar Party’s youth wing, Youth Shiv Sena, and the Democratic Youth Federation of India.

Protesters carried flags and placards reading ‘SCRAP NTA’ and ‘#RENEET’, with 16 youths standing near the podium with ‘RENEET LEAK SARKAR’ painted on their bare torsos.

Sarifa Rahman, national in-charge of the Youth Congress, noted that the youth wings of the INDIA bloc parties first came together during the ‘Voice of Young India’ convention in December last year, hosted by the All India Youth Federation and attended by activists from 17 INDIA party youth wings.

On July 2, the IYF selected Youth Congress national president B Srinivas as its convenor and announced plans to organize the NEET protest. The IYF is managed by a Core Committee of around 20 members, according to Rahman.

Shejo, a Core Committee member and Social Media Coordinator of the All India Youth Federation, explained that the December convention aimed to create a platform to address youth challenges unitedly.

Fahad Ahmad, the Uttar Pradesh president of the Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, stated that addressing the NEET-UG examination irregularities was a natural choice as it is a national issue affecting thousands of youths.

The IYF’s major demands include reconducting the NEET-UG examination due to its controversies and irregularities, scrapping the National Testing Authority, and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Rahman added that the IYF plans to hold at least two conclaves a month on pressing issues such as unemployment. The core committee is also discussing future gatherings in key states like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir, which are heading for elections.

Shejo mentioned that they will soon hold a review meeting to discuss strategies and appoint members for state-level core committees.