Congress will intensify its agitation across the State demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak, Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader said in Mangaluru on Wednesday.Speaking to reporters, Mr. Khader condemned the use of excessive force against agitating students at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. When the Centre refused to allow Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to raise the NEET issue in Parliament, Mr. Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra and other Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest in front of the Prime Minister’s residence. It was wrong on the part of the Union government to have police take Mr. Gandhi and other Congress leaders into custody on Tuesday, he said.Mr. Khader declined to comment on the BJP’s allegation that Mr. Gandhi changed his mind about speaking on the issue after Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh met him and conveyed the Government’s readiness for a detailed debate on the paper leak.The Health Minister said the Congress would intensify the protest demanding Mr. Pradhan’s resignation by taking the issue to the district and taluk levels in Karnataka. The Congress will stand by students over the NEET paper leak issue. The party also demands compensation for the family members of students who committed suicide following the paper leak, the Minister said.Congress activists staged protests in front of the Mangaluru City Corporation office on Tuesday. Similarly, Congress activists staged protests in Udupi and Sullia on Wednesday, July 22. Published - July 22, 2026 08:03 pm IST