Angry and disturbed over the paper leaks, students and Congress youth leaders on Friday held protests in several parts of the national Capital against the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)  accusing it of negligence and demanding immediate action against the guilty.

While some students gathered at Parliament Street in the heart of the city, members of the Congress National Students Union of India (NSUI) began marching towards Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar’s residence but were stopped.

Student groups and the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers also demonstrated outside the CBSE headquarters in East Delhi’s Preet Vihar, raising various demands, including an independent investigation.

“The leaks have exposed the capture of the highest academic institutions by the exam mafia under the watch of the Modi Government as well as the abdication of authority by the HRD Minister and the CBSE chairperson,” NSUI leader Neeraj Mishra said.

He added that they would demand the resignations of Javadekar and CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal.

The NSUI’s list of demands includes announcement of the retest of the Class 10 maths and the Class 12 economics papers as early as possible. They are also demanding that students should not be forced to take the retest. Though the NSUI march was stopped at the Udyog Bhawan Metro Station, a short distance from Javadekar’s Kushak Road residence, NSUI president Fairoz Khan and DUSU vice president Kunal Sehrawat were taken by Delhi Police to meet the Minister.

The Minister assured them that a decision on the issues raised by them would be taken by the end of the day, Sehrawat said. The Congress’ Delhi wing, DPCC, shouted slogans outside the CBSE headquarters, demanding an independent investigation into the issue.

Scores of students also demonstrated outside the CBSE headquarters, asking for an early resolution to their problems. The CBSE announced a retest of the two papers earlier this week following reports that the papers were leaked.