Delhi BJP president and Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra on Thursday accused Opposition parties of exploiting the ongoing student protest over the NEET paper leak for political gains, claiming they were attempting to “hijack” the movement after suffering successive electoral defeats.
Addressing a joint press conference with Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood, Malhotra alleged that Opposition leaders were fuelling violence and using the student agitation to revive their political fortunes.
“What is happening today is an attempt by Opposition parties, which have been losing elections one after another in various states, to save their political future. In this process, they are hijacking the student movement, spreading violence from behind the scenes and defaming the student movement,” he said.
Malhotra welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of fast-track court trials in examination paper leak cases, calling it a decisive step to protect students’ interests. He also questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and other Opposition leaders over the recent protests, asking what they had achieved by “breaching the security of the Prime Minister’s residence and Parliament” and why they were avoiding a discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament.
Claiming that concerns over the NEET examination had already been addressed, Malhotra said the re-examination had been conducted and its results declared, adding that “no one is discussing the matter anymore”.
Targeting the Congress and AAP, Malhotra alleged that the Congress government between 2004 and 2014 witnessed multiple paper leaks, while the AAP Government in Punjab was responsible for a recent pharmacy examination paper leak. The BJP also released a list of examination paper leak cases during the previous UPA government.
Highlighting the Centre’s education initiatives, he said the number of higher education institutions had increased by 25 per cent and universities by nearly 70 per cent between 2014-15 and 2023-24. He also cited an increase in enrolment of Dalit and OBC students in higher education during the period.
Education Minister Ashish Sood appealed to students not to allow their protest to be “hijacked” by political parties, saying their concerns were genuine but should not be used for political purposes.
“Your anger is justified because you had, and continue to have, expectations from the Narendra Modi government. You must have faith that the Modi government has the courage to correct mistakes and transform the system,” he said.
Sood said the Centre had acted swiftly after the NEET controversy by conducting a re-examination and initiating systemic reforms, including the decision to establish fast-track courts for paper leak cases. He said the Delhi Government had made additional arrangements, including cooling zones, to facilitate students appearing for the re-examination.
Accusing Opposition parties of attempting to regain political relevance through the student movement, Sood claimed leaders who had “lost credibility” in Delhi and Punjab were now trying to advance their political interests by using the youth.
“The government stands with every student who has faced injustice. Do not allow political parties, which you have already rejected in Delhi, to hijack your movement,” he said.