Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha: Questions BJP on Paper Leaks, Temple Donations, and Youth Protests
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during the debate on The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav criticised the government over recent student protests, paper leaks, and alleged mismanagement in the National Testing Agency (NTA).
Yadav remarked that the oppression faced by youth during recent protests was comparable to the Emergency era, noting that while batons were used then, protesters were also subjected to electric shocks this time. This came after Union Minister Kiren Rijiju asked whether Yadav would support a government that brought a bill to address student concerns or one that imposed the Emergency.
The SP chief suggested that just as there was a change in government after the Emergency, there would be a regime change now, adding that even God would not save the current government because its people were involved in the 'grave sin' of stealing temple donations—a reference to the alleged theft at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Yadav said that youth protests had forced the government to secure the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He stated, 'By removing Pradhan, you saved the Prime Minister,' and expressed hope that the government would accept all student demands. He also referenced the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), a satirical political entity that emerged during the protests, saying a movement started in jest became serious, compelling a government that previously ignored protests to suddenly act 'democratic.'
Questioning the effectiveness of the 2024 law against unfair means in examinations, Yadav asked why paper leaks continued. He drew a parallel between the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations and the government's inability to prevent paper leaks.
Criticising the NTA's reliance on outsourced staff, Yadav expressed concern that the entire government might eventually be outsourced. He alleged that over one lakh primary schools had been closed, including 26,386 in Uttar Pradesh, indicating that the government did not want children of the poor and Dalits to study. He also claimed that board examination papers were being leaked on a large scale.
Yadav paid tribute to students who died by suicide and demanded that the government provide Rs 1 crore to each grieving family. He accused the government of trying to capture higher education institutions by appointing people from one ideological background to top positions.
Warning that the country's demographic dividend could turn into a calamity, Yadav called for caution. His remarks also reflect the Samajwadi Party's broader strategy ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next year, combining issues of paper leaks and recruitment controversies—which resonate with students and job aspirants—with the Ram Temple donation theft to question the BJP's claims of probity on its core Hindutva terrain.
