New Delhi: A sharp contrast in police response towards protests against Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan emerged in Delhi and Haryana as students, parents, activists and political leaders came together in neighbouring territories.While the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar – over the NEET paper leak and concerns related to Class 12 board examinations – concluded without incident on Saturday (June 6), the Haryana Youth Congress’s protest in Kurukshetra was met with strong police action, water cannons, alleged lathi charge and detentions.The protest in Haryana was led by Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda. The protesters marched towards the residence of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini.“Paper leaks have been occurring continuously under the BJP government for the past 12 years, yet there is no accountability. Paper-leak mafias are operating across the country under the patronage of the BJP government. We have gathered today to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” he said.According to reports, the police had erected barricades and increased security around the chief minister’s residence before the protest. Officials said that a confrontation occurred when demonstrators approached the barricades and attempted to cross them. Police used water cannons to disperse the crowd and detained several protesters.Among those detained were Hooda, Thanesar MLA Ashok Arora, Shahabad MLA Ram Karan Kala, former MP Kailasho Saini, Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib, Haryana Youth Congress president Nishit Kataria and Pehowa MLA Mandeep Singh Chatha.Congress leaders alleged that police also carried out a lathi charge. Officials said more than 20 Congress leaders and workers were detained as a precautionary measure and released shortly afterwards on the directions of the duty magistrate.Addressing protesters, Hooda accused the BJP government of failing to prevent repeated paper leak incidents and called for accountability. He said the campaign would continue and announced another demonstration in Panipat on June 12, the Telegraph reported.Chib said Youth Congress workers would continue holding protests across the country until Pradhan was removed from office. Kataria alleged that recurring paper leaks were affecting the futures of students preparing for competitive examinations.The CJP has given Pradhan a seven-day ultimatum to resign from his post and said that their protests too would be taken nation-wide if the minister doesn’t step down.