India, July 27 -- Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday hailed students for their nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, saying the agitation marked the beginning of a larger fight against the BJP and proved that "votes can be stolen, but not people".

"Deshbhakt have defeated andhbhakt", he said addressing a 'Tiranga' rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai where a massive crowd of youth, mostly college students, waving the national flag and holding posters of the Constitution, gathered to "celebrate" the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Despite light rains since morning, the youth in raincoats and under umbrellas carried posters of BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of India's Constitution, along with...