Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a verbal attack on the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over the recent NEET UG 2026 paper leak controversy. He demanded the immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

He called the examination process a ‘fraud on children’ and alleged that the country’s education system had been deeply compromised by what he termed a ‘BJP-RSS’ nexus.

Gandhi takes aim at Centre over NEET leak

Gandhi took to ‘X’ and released a video statement, in which he claimed the NEET question paper had been circulating on WhatsApp two days before the exam, which was conducted on May 3, 2026. He said, “The whole country knows that two days before NEET, its question paper was being distributed on WhatsApp.” The former president of Congress then accused Minister Pradhan of ignoring the recommendations made by a parliamentary committee regarding examination reforms and accountability mechanisms.

He added, “The hard work of 22 lakh students has gone to waste and the future of millions of aspirants has been jeopardised due to repeated exam paper leaks across the country. If you want to become a vice-chancellor, you do not need subject knowledge or experience. You only need to belong to the RSS.”

Furthermore, the Congress MP alleged that the education system had become vulnerable to corruption due to politically motivated appointments in universities and academic institutions.

“Sack Dharmendra Pradhan or take responsibility”: Gandhi

Sharpening his attack, Gandhi said that PM Narendra Modi should either remove Minister Pradhan from his post immediately or accept personal accountability for the controversy. He claimed that 2.2 million NEET aspirants had been ‘betrayed.’ Adding to the allegations, he said that nearly 80 exam papers had leaked across India in recent years, leaving the future of crores of young students in limbo.

BJP hits back

The BJP hit back at Gandhi’s remarks, accusing the Congress of exploiting the issue for political mileage. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that the Congress should first answer for alleged paper leak scandals and recruitments which unfolded during its tenure. He cited controversies linked to AIPMT, SSC and CBSE exams, along with recruitment scams in Congress-ruled states.