Agartala 25th July 2026: Senior advocate Purushuttam Roy Barman on Saturday expressed strong solidarity with the ongoing student protest in Agartala against the alleged NEET examination irregularities, describing the movement as a significant democratic initiative led by young people determined to safeguard their future.
Sharing in social media handle after meeting the protesting students near the Gandhi statue close to the Agartala Circuit House, Roy Barman said the wave of the historic student movement that began at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi has now reached Tripura. He noted that for the last five days, students have been holding a peaceful demonstration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, enduring both scorching heat and heavy rain.
“The most remarkable aspect of this movement is that these students are not associated with any student organisation and have no previous experience in activism. They have come forward solely because they believe the time has come to protest in defence of their present and future,” Roy Barman said.
He informed that he, along with THRO representatives including Samarjit Bhattacharya, visited the protest site on Friday to extend support and interact with the demonstrators. According to him, the students conveyed their determination to continue the agitation until the Union Education Minister accepts responsibility for the alleged NEET scandal by resigning and their other demands are fulfilled.
Roy Barman alleged that the students had informed him that they were questioned over raising the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad,” accused of being backed by the CPI(M) and Congress, and subjected to continuous police surveillance through photography. He further claimed that they were facing online trolling, threats, and pressure on the educational institutions where they study.
Rejecting attempts to politicise the protest, Roy Barman asserted that “Inquilab Zindabad” is a slogan rooted in India’s freedom movement and not the exclusive property of any political party. “The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to peaceful protest. There is no reason for these students to fear because they are exercising their democratic rights,” he said.
He also remarked that the photographs being taken by police would one day serve as a record of the students’ contribution to a democratic movement. Roy Barman maintained that while accepting support from political parties is not unlawful, the protest itself has been initiated independently by the students.
Describing the demonstrators as “the future and the heralds of the days to come,” Roy Barman reaffirmed his support for the movement, stating that “repression never has the final word; protest does. Truth and justice ultimately prevail.”
Referring to reports that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned, Roy Barman said he had received the information and described it as a significant development in the course of the nationwide agitation.
