Guwahati: Activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) on Saturday protested in the city against the NEET-UG exam paper leak scam that has sparked nationwide outrage. The protesters alleged that police obstructed their rally, which demanded the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and stringent punishment for BJP leaders and affiliates allegedly involved in the leak.“The police force brutally obstructed this democratic protest rally staged by SFI in front of Guwahati’s Nehru Park. It is noteworthy that since its inception, extensive anomalies and irregularities have continuously plagued crucial examinations conducted by the NTA. This time was no exception, as the question paper for the NEET-UG exam — which determines the academic future of millions of students — was leaked in a well-planned manner,” SFI Assam state committee president Dewan Iftikar Hussain and secretary Rajdeep Mahanta said in a media release.They alleged that leaders and close affiliates of the ruling BJP were directly involved in the paper leak. “For their own political and financial interests, the BJP govt is pushing the academic future of millions of meritorious students from middle-class and poor families to the brink of destruction,” the statement said. Mahanta added that students who prepared for the exam through years of hard work, sacrifice, and financial strain are now facing extreme mental stress and depression due to such scams.Through the protest, SFI demanded a high-level investigation into the entire NEET paper leak incident and the harshest punishment for everyone involved.“The democratic rally of SFI, advancing peacefully from Nehru Park, was forcibly blocked by the police. SFI made it clear that the government cannot suppress the voice of the student community through police intimidation, and this struggle will continue until their demands are met,” the students’ body said.