The Congress on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before any discussion on the paper leak issue in Parliament, saying the Prime Minister should make a statement on the floor of the House instead of addressing the nation through a recorded video message released late on Thursday.
The demand came after Modi announced that the Centre would introduce the Anti-Paper Leak Bill in Parliament on Friday, a move aimed at addressing concerns over recurring paper leak incidents.
Congress president and LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said when Parliament was in session, the Prime Minister should make a statement in the House instead of delivering a “one-sided Mann Ki Baat” outside Parliament.
He asked Modi to first dismiss Pradhan, apologise to students and order strict action against those who directed the use of lathis, batons and pellet guns on protesting students. Only thereafter, Kharge said, the opposition would be ready for a detailed discussion on the education system.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said students were demanding Pradhan's resignation and alleged that the Prime Minister's midnight video could not substitute accountability. He also demanded Pradhan's removal, action against those responsible for the police action on students and an apology to the agitating students.
Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister had ended his "two-month silence" on the issue only after growing public anger. He alleged that the Modi government had consistently denied that the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper had been leaked, pointing out that Pradhan had avoided using the word "leak" while the Education Ministry had maintained before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education that no paper leak had taken place.
Ramesh alleged that the government had earlier buried evidence of widespread irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination despite what he described as suspicious clustering of toppers at a handful of examination centres. While the government later acknowledged what it termed a "selective leak" in Hazaribagh, he claimed it had failed to bring those responsible to justice, alleging that Sanjeev Mukhiya, earlier described as the kingpin of the leak, was now being projected as innocent.
Referring to the cancelled UGC-NET 2024 examination, Ramesh also questioned the CBI's closure report, alleging that the agency had concluded there was no paper leak without adequately explaining its findings. He alleged that the crisis stemmed from weak investigations and the government's failure to ensure accountability.
He further said the Prime Minister's video message made no reference to the student protests or the police action against demonstrators on July 20. Reiterating the Congress' stand, Ramesh demanded Pradhan's removal, action against those responsible for the police action on students and an apology from the government.
Congress general secretary and MP Randeep Surjewala questioned the need for another law, saying the government had already enacted the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, following the NEET controversy.
He alleged that despite the law, the CBI had failed to file a chargesheet against Sanjeev Mukhiya, whom investigators had earlier identified as the alleged kingpin in the NEET 2024 case.