Chandigarh police used water cannons and lathi-charges to disperse protesters demonstrating against an alleged examination paper leak in Punjab [1, 2].
The incident highlights a rare moment of alignment between opposing political wings as both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress target the current administration over educational integrity.
Demonstrators included members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the BJP, and the Punjab Youth Congress [1, 2]. The groups gathered in Chandigarh to protest what they described as a failure by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government to prevent the leak of examination papers [1, 2].
Police responded to the gathering with force, deploying water cannons and conducting lathi-charges to control the crowds [1, 2]. Several protesters were detained during the operation as authorities sought to restore order in the city [1, 2].
The protesters said the leak undermines the merit of the examination process and harms students across the state [2]. The BJP and Congress have both accused the state government of negligence in managing the security of the papers [1, 2].
No official casualty count was provided in the initial reports, but the use of force by the Chandigarh police indicates a high level of tension between the demonstrators and the state's security apparatus [1, 2].
“Police used water cannons and lathi-charges to disperse protesters”
The joint pressure from the BJP and Congress on the Aam Aadmi Party government suggests that examination leaks have become a potent political liability in Punjab. By mobilizing student wings, these parties are leveraging public frustration over educational instability to challenge the ruling party's administrative competence.
