Bhopal, July 23 — As protests over the alleged NEET paper leak continued in New Delhi and several parts of the country, including Madhya Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress on Thursday stepped up their political attack on each other, trading charges over accountability and the conduct of the examination.
Addressing a press conference in Datia, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal accused Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of misleading students and avoiding a discussion in Parliament despite the Centre’s willingness to debate the issue.
“Rahul Gandhi is misleading students instead of participating in a meaningful discussion on the NEET paper leak in Parliament. The Centre is ready to discuss the issue under any rule and for as long as the Opposition wants, but the Congress is avoiding the debate,” Khandelwal said.
He added that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government had decided to ensure speedy trial of paper leak cases through Fast Track Courts and that those accused in the NEET paper leak would be prosecuted under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
Khandelwal also claimed that the CBI had nearly completed its investigation and would soon file a chargesheet against the arrested accused. Alleging that the Congress and the INDIA bloc were politicising the issue, he said the Centre was focused on finding a permanent solution to paper leaks and strengthening the examination system.
“The Prime Minister has made students’ interests the top priority. Anyone who plays with the future of the country’s youth will not be spared. We are strengthening the legal framework to make public examinations leak‑proof,” Khandelwal added.
On the other hand, Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Jaivardhan Singh questioned the continuation of National Testing Agency (NTA) Chairman Pradeep Joshi despite repeated controversies surrounding NEET.
“The BJP government must explain why the NTA Chairman continues in office despite repeated controversies over NEET. Students deserve accountability and a transparent examination system,” Singh said during a press conference in Jabalpur.
He alleged that repeated irregularities in recruitment and entrance examinations had forced lakhs of aspirants, particularly from small towns and rural areas, to spend years preparing for government jobs while repeatedly paying examination fees.
Referring to a student organisation, ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, Singh also claimed that 25 students had died by suicide due to stress linked to the examination system and termed the existing admission and recruitment process a “suicidal system.”