‘We won’t move’: Reservation Hatao protesters dig in heels at Jantar Mantar

A month after the Jantar Mantar protests over the 2026 NEET-UG paper leak, demonstrators returned on Friday demanding changes to the reservation system and UGC equity norms. Students, farmers, homemakers, and businesspeople took part in the demonstration, urging reforms that prioritize financial condition over caste. Bablu Shukla, a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, argued that the children of government officials should not receive reservation benefits.

Another protester, Anand Singh, a contractor, stated that opportunities should be given to deserving individuals, not based on reservation. NEET aspirant Harsh Dubey and his businessman brother Abhishek Agnihotri led the protest. Dubey, who gained attention in a television debate, called for reforms in the reservation system on social media.

He had planned to sit alone at Jantar Mantar but was denied permission by the police due to Section 163 of the BNSS. Despite this, Dubey announced plans to launch a reservation reform movement. At the protest, Sudha Sharma, a homemaker, expressed her frustration at being denied reservation due to her upper-caste status. Businessman Agnihotri also called for the abolition of the SC/ST Act.

Despite being offered an alternative venue, the protesters insisted on staying at Jantar Mantar, stating that they would not leave.