Assam Government to Withdraw Legal Actions Against NEET Protesters

In a significant move, the Assam government has announced it will withdraw legal actions against individuals involved in the NEET (UG) protests. This decision follows accusations from the Cockroach Janta Party regarding the Centre's failure to uphold promises of no punitive measures against peaceful demonstrators. The government stated that it would not pursue further legal actions and would expedite the release of those already detained. This announcement comes amidst ongoing debates in Parliament regarding proposed legislation aimed at addressing examination irregularities. The situation highlights the tension between governmental assurances and the realities faced by protesters, raising questions about accountability and reform in the examination system.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 28, 2026, 12:24 IST

Assam's Decision on NEET Protests

A protester at Chachal holding a placard. (AT Photo)

Guwahati, July 28: Following accusations from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) regarding the Centre's failure to uphold its promise of no punitive measures against NEET (UG) protesters, the Assam government has declared that it will refrain from taking any negative legal actions against those involved in the protests and will start the process of withdrawing all related cases.

On Monday, the State's Political Department released a statement indicating that five cases had been filed in Assam by 6 pm on July 26 due to the NEET (UG) protests, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals.

After reviewing the situation, the government opted not to pursue any further legal actions against the demonstrators.

"No negative legal actions will be taken by any police authorities in the State against individuals involved in these protests," the statement confirmed.

It further mentioned that the withdrawal of all registered cases would commence promptly, in accordance with legal procedures, regardless of the current status of the cases.

"The process for withdrawing the registered cases, irrespective of their current stage within Assam, will be initiated as per law without delay," the statement added.

The government also stated that it would review the arrests and detentions that have already occurred and expedite the release of those detained.

"Regarding the arrests and detentions already made... the review process for these arrests and the release of those detained will be initiated swiftly," it noted.

According to the statement, the matter will be considered resolved, with no further legal actions to be taken.

This announcement follows the CJP's concerns about the arrests and detentions of student protesters across various states, despite the Centre's assurance that peaceful demonstrators in the anti-NEET protests would not face punitive measures.

The party highlighted arrests in Assam and Bihar, claiming that these actions contradicted the government's commitment to uphold the democratic right to protest.

They also warned of escalating their protests if the detained individuals were not released and the cases against them were not dropped.

The issue was also raised in Parliament during discussions on the proposed anti-paper leak legislation.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticized the proposed Bill as "cosmetic," arguing that it primarily focused on punitive actions while neglecting the systemic issues that allegedly contributed to irregularities in examinations like NEET.

He called for increased accountability and structural reforms within the examination system, questioning the government's motives behind the legislation.

The debate on the proposed anti-paper leak Bill is set to continue in Parliament on Tuesday.