Rahul Gandhi Demands Resignation, Apology Over Exam Paper Leaks: Key Points
Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi held a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, a day after leading a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence over alleged NEET paper leaks and police action against students. He demanded Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and an apology from PM Modi, describing India's education system as 'rigged'. Here are the key takeaways.
Gandhi began by showing videos of students allegedly being beaten during Monday's protest. He questioned why peaceful demonstrators were met with force, stating, 'What exactly have these students done? Thousands of them are protesting peacefully. They are only asking for what this country owes them — a fair education system.' He said students face stress due to repeated exam controversies, including paper leaks, and accused the government of failing to address their concerns.
When asked about his treatment during the protest, Gandhi dismissed the question, insisting the focus should remain on students. 'How I was treated yesterday, I don't care about it. The focus has to be on students and how they were treated. Do whatever you want to me. Do it five times against me. I don't mind it.' He also claimed that police personnel escorting him expressed sympathy with the students, saying, 'The cops who were taking me away yesterday were whispering in my ear that I should remove this government.'
Gandhi alleged that India's education system had become 'rigged' and unaffordable. He claimed that 152 examination paper leaks had occurred over the past decade, affecting nearly 7.5 crore students and their families, with 'zero convictions' in such cases. Highlighting financial burden, he said the Union government's education budget was around Rs 1.4 lakh crore, while families collectively spent nearly Rs 1.32 lakh crore on NEET alone. He further alleged that young people face shrinking opportunities due to weakened manufacturing, difficult entrepreneurship, and AI affecting corporate jobs.
Backing student demands, Gandhi called for Pradhan's resignation, accusing him of failing to run the education system. 'The students are demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. He has failed as Education Minister. He is incapable of running this system.' Explaining why the Opposition marched to the PM's residence, Gandhi said Parliament failed to take up the issue despite repeated requests. 'We first went to the Speaker respectfully and demanded a discussion. He said he would ask the government. No discussion was allowed. The issue was ignored.'
