NEW DELHI: Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Centre for using force against students protesting against the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and demanded accountability over the alleged paper leak.
Raising the issue soon after the House assembled, Kharge said the matter concerned the future of lakhs of students.
“You have given me an opportunity to speak about the NEET examination scam. This concerns the future of lakhs of children. Today, thousands of students have gathered at Jantar Mantar. A lathi charge has taken place there. The government is trying to beat them, crush them and suppress their voice,” he said.
Treasury bench members strongly objected to his remarks, leading to noisy scenes in the House. Kharge also referred to the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple, prompting further protests. Amid the uproar, Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan adjourned the House briefly.
Outside Parliament, Kharge said the Centre should step down if it was unable to conduct examinations fairly.
“This is not just an attack on students but on democracy. People come to Delhi to raise their issues. They are being lathi-charged and threatened. The government is harassing students. Unemployment is rising while examinations are being ruined. They do not deserve to remain in power,” he said.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that despite repeated paper leaks, no action had been taken against those responsible. “Prime Minister Modi is the most youth-hostile Prime Minister in India’s history... 152 paper leaks. 7.5 crore students victimised. Not a single guilty person has been punished,” Gandhi posted on X. He alleged that students raising legitimate concerns were being beaten while those responsible for paper leaks remained free.
Congress general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said,“Instead of lathi-charging students, the BJP government should review its policies and failures. First, the NEET paper was leaked, the examination was cancelled, and now there are reports of irregularities even in the re-NEET.,” she said in a X post.
