New Delhi, May 21 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharply criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre over the NEET paper leak, accusing the government of ignoring student protests and using force against demonstrators while failing to hold anyone accountable.
“When Modi ji was making reels while handing out toffees in Italy, India’s youth — distressed by paper leaks — were out on the streets demanding justice,” Gandhi said in a post on social media platform X. He added that the NEET leak had “destroyed the future of lakhs of students” and noted that “some children even lost their lives.”
Gandhi targeted the Prime Minister for his silence on the issue, saying, “And Modi ji neither took responsibility, nor removed Dharmendra Pradhan, nor said a single word.” He alleged that instead of answers, students were met with force. “Now, when students, NSUI, and INC workers are raising their voices for justice, BJP-led state governments are responding with baton charges,” he wrote. “A government that answers students’ questions with lathis is driven not by accountability, but by fear.”
The Congress MP vowed to keep up pressure on the government. “But we are not going to be intimidated. We will not stop until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns and a strong, secure system is put in place to prevent paper leaks in the country,” he said. “This fight is for every student whose future has been stolen by this failed government.”
The NEET-UG exam was marred by allegations of a paper leak, leading to widespread protests by aspirants across several states. The issue triggered multiple FIRs and arrests by the CBI.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have made paper leaks a key issue, linking them to youth unemployment and questioning the reliability of national-level entrance exams. The BJP has said leaks are being probed and blamed isolated gangs, while accusing the Opposition of politicizing the issue.
Student groups, including the Congress-backed NSUI, have held demonstrations in Delhi, Patna, and other cities demanding accountability and a re-examination. Several of those protests saw police action, which the Congress cited in its criticism of BJP-ruled state governments. UNI SKA AAB
