Pune, 22nd July 2026: Braving heavy rain, Youth Congress workers on Tuesday staged a protest outside the public relations office of Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol on Jangli Maharaj Road in Pune, extending support to the nationwide agitation against the alleged NEET paper leak. The sudden march caught the police off guard, triggering a brief commotion outside the office.
The protest began around 5 p.m. on Tuesday (July 21) when a large group of Youth Congress activists reached Mohol’s office while raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. As some protesters attempted to enter the premises, police immediately shut the main gate and prevented them from gaining access.
Senior police officers, including Deputy Commissioner of Police Hrishikesh Rawale, reached the spot and appealed to the protesters to move away from the entrance. When they refused, police removed them from the gate and detained several activists. Despite the downpour, the protesters continued raising slogans during the action.
After the detentions, police faced an unexpected challenge as no transport vehicle was immediately available to shift the protesters to the police station. The detained activists remained on Jangli Maharaj Road for some time, continuing their protest before they were moved to the footpath.
The demonstration briefly affected traffic movement in the area. As police vehicles took time to arrive, some detained protesters were transported in officers' vehicles, while a few others dispersed from the spot on their own.