Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan alleges Congress using students as political tools amid NEET row

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the Congress protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, accusing the party of using students as political tools amid the ongoing controversy surrounding examination paper leaks.

The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several senior party leaders staged a demonstration near the Prime Minister's residence, demanding action over the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities. The Congress also protested against the alleged police action on students who participated in the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) march to Parliament on Monday.

Police dispersed the protest later in the evening, detaining Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several other Congress leaders before releasing them later that night.

Responding to the demonstration, Pradhan said the Centre had already expressed its willingness to hold a comprehensive discussion on examination paper leaks and related issues during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament. He alleged that despite the government's readiness for a parliamentary debate, the Congress had chosen to stage a political protest instead.

In a post on X, the Union Minister said the Congress had opted for "political spectacle over democratic debate" and claimed that the party's objective was "never solutions for students; it was disruption for political headlines."

Pradhan further alleged that Rahul Gandhi was prioritising political optics over constructive engagement, asserting that the Congress continued to seek confrontation even after the government had opened avenues for discussion on the issue in Parliament.

The exchange comes amid heightened political confrontation over allegations of examination paper leaks and concerns over the integrity of competitive examinations, with the opposition demanding greater accountability from the government while the Centre has maintained that it is prepared to address the matter through parliamentary discussion.