In his first reaction since the Cockroach Janta Party's protest on Monday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday accused Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of exploiting students for political gain.

He alleged that the party was seeking to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament rather than work towards resolving concerns arising from the NEET paper leak controversy.

In a post on X, Pradhan claimed that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had staged a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence despite the Centre conveying its readiness for a comprehensive discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament.

"LoP Shri Rahul Gandhi and INC continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament," Pradhan wrote.

Pradhan's remarks came hours after Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence over the alleged police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak on Monday. The demonstration ended with the detention of several Opposition leaders before they were later released.

He alleged that the protest outside the Prime Minister's residence caused inconvenience to the public and disregarded established security protocols. The minister further claimed that the Congress had chosen "political spectacle over democratic debate" even after the government agreed to discuss the issue.

"Their objective was never solutions for students; it was disruption for political headlines," Pradhan said, adding that Rahul Gandhi was trying to manufacture confrontation despite the government opening "every genuine avenue for discussion".

Reiterating the Centre's stand, Pradhan said the government remained "100% committed" to discussing the NEET paper leak and addressing students' concerns on the floor of Parliament.

"The students of India deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign. They deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption," he said.

The Union minister added that the government owed students "answers, reforms and accountability" and remained committed to delivering them.

- Ends

Published By:

Sonali Verma

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 23:05 IST