Two separate protests in Patna turned violent on Wednesday, 22nd July, keeping the city on edge. While AISA workers clashed with police during a march over the NEET-UG paper leak and the ongoing student movement in Delhi, BJP and Congress workers came face-to-face outside the Bihar Congress Committee office at Sadakat Ashram, leading to stone-pelting and injuries.
AISA protest over NEET paper leak turns tense
Members of the All India Students Association (AISA) marched towards Raj Bhavan, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak, corruption in the education system and the commercialisation of education. The protest was also held in support of students demonstrating at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and against the recent police action there.
The march was stopped at JP Golambar after police set up several barricades to block the route to Raj Bhavan. Even after repeated announcements asking protesters to disperse, some of them tried to move past the barricades.
Police responded by using water cannons, tear gas shells and later a lathi-charge to stop the march. Despite the action, many protesters continued raising slogans against the Centre, while some students staged a sit-in on the road. Senior police officers remained at the spot and appealed to the protesters to end the demonstration peacefully.
The Patna protest followed the ongoing student agitation in Delhi over irregularities in competitive examinations. The movement gained attention after educator and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite hunger strike demanding accountability for the NEET-UG paper leak and the resignation of the Education Minister. He was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police on Saturday, 19th July, and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital.
The protests in Delhi intensified after the “Sansad Chalo” march on Monday, 21st July, when clashes broke out after police stopped demonstrators from heading towards Parliament. Delhi Police said more than 170 people, including 118 security personnel, were injured, around 70 protesters were detained and five FIRs were registered for damage to public property. The protesters later returned to Jantar Mantar and continued their agitation.
Congress and BJP workers clash outside Sadakat Ashram
Another confrontation unfolded outside Sadakat Ashram, the Congress headquarters on Ashoka Rajpath, where Congress and BJP workers clashed during a protest.
BJP and Congress workers clash during protests in Patna; stone throwing, violent scenes on the street. pic.twitter.com/ONMTjU7vlU
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) July 22, 2026
The BJP staged demonstrations outside Congress offices across the country in response to the Congress protest held near the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi a day earlier. As BJP workers gathered outside the Congress office in Patna, Congress workers also came out, leading to a heated exchange that soon turned violent.
Workers from both sides used sticks and pelted stones at each other, creating chaos in the area. Around a dozen people were reported injured in the clash, though officials had not confirmed the exact number or the condition of those injured.
