The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) held protests across Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of state education minister Nara Lokesh over alleged irregularities in the 2025 teacher recruitment process.HT ImageIn a statement, the YSRCP said large-scale protests were held simultaneously under the party’s student and youth wings.“Demonstrations were held in Vijayawada, Nellore, Tirupati, Nandyal and several other district headquarters,” the statement said.The party alleged large-scale irregularities in teacher recruitment through the District Selection Committee (DSC) under the Mega DSC-2025 programme.“There were reports of question paper leaks, irregular appointments of teachers under the sports quota and denial of opportunities to deserving candidates,” the statement said.Demanding Lokesh’s resignation over the alleged lapses in the conduct of Mega DSC-2025, the YSRCP also sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the recruitment process.In Vijayawada, a rally organised by the YSRCP’s youth and student wings proceeded from Sambamurthy Nagar to Dharna Chowk. It was led by YSRCP NTR district president Devineni Avinash, former minister Vellampalli Srinivas, former MLA Malladi Vishnu and other party leaders.In Nellore, hundreds of students and youth marched from the Dr B R Ambedkar statue to Gandhi Bomma Centre, demanding Lokesh’s resignation and justice for unemployed youth. The protest was led by former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy, former MLA Sanjeevaiah, Nedurumalli Ram Kumar Reddy and Anam Vijay Kumar Reddy.In Tirupati, former minister R K Roja led protesters demanding Lokesh’s resignation and a CBI inquiry into the alleged DSC irregularities. She alleged that the recruitment process was marred by paper leaks and irregular appointments under the sports quota.In Nandyal, YSRCP leaders, students and unemployed youth staged a protest rally led by senior leaders Katasani Ram Bhupal Reddy, Rami Reddy and MLC Isaq Basha.Meanwhile, the YSRCP claimed a tense situation developed at Narasannapeta after police stopped a rally led by Dharmana Krishna Chaitanya. The party alleged that the police action was an attempt to suppress democratic protests, the statement added.