AAP stages 'Thali Bajao' protest in Ferozepur, Targets Centre over student issues
Ferozepur, July 25, 2026: Responding to the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) statewide call, party leaders and workers on Saturday held a "Thali Bajao, Tanashahi Bhagao" (Beat the Plate, Defeat Dictatorship) protest in Ferozepur, accusing the BJP-led Central Government of being "anti-youth" and mishandling student-related issues, including the NEET examination and paper leak controversies.
The protest, led by AAP leader Harjinder Singh Ghanga, District President, Sukhraj Singh Gora, was joined by Zira MLA Rajesh Kataria, key local party workers and supporters, who took to the streets beating steel plates and raising slogans against the Centre.
Addressing the gathering, Gora alleged that the Central Government had cracked down on protesting students, claiming that many were forcibly removed from hostels, assaulted and injured. He said the Aam Aadmi Party stood in solidarity with students across the country and would continue to oppose what he termed "authoritarian policies" and attacks on democratic rights.
He also criticised the Congress, alleging that its senior leadership remained absent during the prolonged student protests and became active only after the issue attracted nationwide attention. According to him, both the BJP and the Congress had failed to safeguard the interests of the country's youth.
MLA Rajesh Kataria reiterated the party's support for students and said the AAP would continue to fight for transparency, justice and accountability in matters affecting the youth.
The Ferozepur protest was part of a coordinated agitation organised across all districts of Punjab under the slogan "Thali Bajao, Tanashahi Bhagao." Through the campaign, the ruling party in Punjab sought to express solidarity with students while protesting the Centre's handling of issues related to the NEET examination and alleged paper leak controversies.
The statewide protest has also drawn criticism from opposition parties, including the BJP and the Congress, which accused the AAP of adopting double standards by supporting student protests against the Centre while facing criticism over police action against protesting sanitation workers and unemployed youth groups in Punjab.