BJP and Congress Clash Over NEET and Karnataka Drought

Political tensions escalated across India on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, as the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress engaged in rival protests and physical clashes. In Bengaluru, BJP leaders led by R. Ashoka marched from Vidhana Soudha toward the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters to protest the Congress party's focus on national issues over local crises. The march ended in the detention of BJP leaders, while Congress workers allegedly hurled eggs at BJP MLA B.P. Harish.

Simultaneously, nationwide demonstrations erupted over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). Following a 'Sansad Chalo' march in New Delhi, protests spread to Patna, Chennai, Hyderabad, Palakkad, and Surat. In Patna, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse All India Students' Association protesters. In Bengaluru, Congress workers attempted to lay siege to the BJP state headquarters while demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Amid the unrest, R. Ashoka accused the Congress leadership of prioritizing political drama in Delhi while ignoring a severe drought affecting 175 taluks in Karnataka. He demanded that the government immediately declare a drought and allocate 20 crore rupees for drinking water works in every assembly constituency and taluk. These events coincide with a continuing two-month sit-in by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.