The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday, 21 July extended full support to the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP)-led protest in New Delhi, strongly condemning what it described as excessive use of force by the Delhi Police against students demonstrating over the NEET-2026 paper leak. The association's statement marks one of the sharper institutional responses to the crackdown from a student body outside the capital.

JKSA's Condemnation of Police Action

Nasir Khuehami, national convenor of the JKSA, said in a statement that the association 'extends its unequivocal support to the students and youth participating in the CJP-led protest in New Delhi and strongly condemns the excessive and disproportionate use of force by the Delhi Police against peaceful demonstrators exercising their democratic and constitutional right to assemble and voice their concerns.'

Khuehami described visuals from the protest site — allegedly showing unarmed students being lathi-charged, tear-gassed, dragged, and detained — as having 'shocked the conscience of the nation.' He noted that women and peaceful participants were among those subjected to physical force during what was intended as a democratic march.

Constitutional Rights at the Centre of the Debate

The JKSA invoked Article 19 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, freedom of speech, and expression of dissent. Khuehami argued that responding to constitutionally protected protest with coercion 'weakens the very constitutional values that public institutions are duty-bound to uphold.'

The association demanded that the concerned Deputy Commissioner of Police publicly explain under whose directions the lathi-charge, tear gas, and mass detentions were authorised — a call for administrative accountability that Delhi Police has not yet formally responded to, according to available reports.

NEET-2026 Paper Leak: A Pattern of Examination Failures

The JKSA framed the NEET-2026 paper leak not as an isolated incident but as 'the latest in a disturbing series of examination scandals' that have, it said, severely eroded the credibility of India's examination and recruitment infrastructure. The association pointed to repeated incidents of paper leaks, irregularities, and administrative failures over several years that have, in its assessment, shattered the aspirations of lakhs of students who invest years of preparation in competitive examinations.

Notably, this is not the first time NEET has faced allegations of malpractice — the examination has been at the centre of controversy in multiple preceding cycles, drawing scrutiny from courts, student groups, and opposition parties alike.

Demand for Accountability and Dialogue

The association called upon the Government of India and Delhi Police to protect the constitutional rights, dignity, and safety of every peaceful protester, and demanded an 'independent, impartial, transparent, and time-bound enquiry' into allegations of excessive force.

It also urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to accept moral responsibility for what it described as repeated institutional failures that have undermined the integrity of national examinations. The JKSA said it would send office-bearers to the protest site in New Delhi to express solidarity with the agitating students and extend direct support to the movement.

Khuehami questioned why the government had not engaged students in dialogue: 'Why can the government not engage with students who are peacefully seeking justice? Why can it not concede genuine and legitimate demands instead of responding with force?'

What Comes Next

The JKSA's intervention adds to growing pressure on both the Centre and Delhi Police to respond to the crackdown allegations. With student bodies from multiple regions now publicly aligning with the CJP-led movement, the political and institutional stakes around the NEET-2026 controversy appear set to escalate further in the coming days.