NEW DELHI: Several opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday slammed the government after the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination, alleging administrative failure and insensitivity toward students. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘amrit kaal’ has turned into a ‘vish kaal’ (poison-filled era) for the country, they added.
Gandhi said the hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been “crushed by this corrupt BJP regime”. In a post on X, Gandhi said, “The NEET 2026 examination has been cancelled. The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime.
Some fathers took loans, some mothers sold their jewellery, lakhs of children stayed up all night studying, and in return, they got paper leaks, government negligence, and organised corruption in education.”
“This is not just a failure—it’s a crime against the future of the youth,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
CPM Rajya Sabha member John Brittas said repeated failures in national examinations were eroding public trust in the system. “NEET cancellation is yet another blow to lakhs of students who put in years of hard work. Repeated failures in national exams are destroying trust in the system. The government must fix this broken process,” he said in his X post.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said affected students will have to resort to mass protests as the government only understands the language of agitation. At a press conference, he alleged “political patronage” in paper leaks, saying the NEET question paper was leaked four times in the past nine years and none of the accused were punished.
RJD Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha also attacked the NTA. “Do anything but first dismantle NTA, NEET,” he said on X. “Have you ever thought about the impact on students coming from ordinary backgrounds? The CBI probe is an eyewash,” he said.