Rahul Gandhi urges PM to apologise to students, not forgive them
Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday released a video on social media in which he demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to students affected by the NEET paper leak and cancellation, instead of 'forgiving' them. The video showed his interaction with the families of three students — Gopika, Roshini and Vetri Anandan — who were found dead following the paper leak and subsequent cancellation of the medical entrance examination.
Mr. Gandhi visited Tamil Nadu on Saturday and met the grieving families. In the video, he said that each family was left with the same painful question: “Why should honest, hardworking students pay the price for a dishonest system?” He added that behind every statistic is a child with a dream and a family now living with an irreplaceable loss.
“The Prime Minister speaks of 'forgiving' students. After listening to these parents, my conviction is even stronger: India's students need no forgiveness. The government owes them truth, justice and an apology,” Mr. Gandhi asserted.
Referring to paper leaks and cancelled examinations, he said, “The Prime Minister has the audacity to talk about forgiving the students. Has he even met a single grieving family who has lost their child, or those whose entire savings, life, time and dreams have been snatched away by paper leaks? The answer is no! India's students do not need the Prime Minister's forgiveness; Modi ji should apologise to them.”
In Mamallapuram, while interacting with the relatives of those who died, Mr. Gandhi said, “Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them and serious questions about a broken education system. Leaked papers. Cancelled exams. Years of preparation were destroyed overnight. Our students are told to work honestly in a system that is not honest with them.”
He also posted a message in Hindi on social media, expressing grief over the deaths and questioning the integrity of the education system.
The NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) is a competitive examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses in India. Every year, over a million students appear for the exam, which serves as the sole gateway for medical admissions in the country. The examination was cancelled this year after a paper leak was reported, affecting lakhs of aspirants. The leak and cancellation triggered widespread protests, with students demanding a fair re-test and accountability from the authorities.
The three students whose families Mr. Gandhi met were among those found dead following the leak and cancellation, though the circumstances of their deaths have not been disclosed. Their deaths have further intensified the controversy, drawing attention to the emotional and financial toll on students and their families. Student organisations and opposition parties have called for a thorough investigation into both the leak and the deaths.
Mr. Gandhi's remarks come amid growing criticism of the government's handling of the NEET paper leak. Opposition parties have been demanding a probe into the leak and compensation for affected students. The Prime Minister had earlier made statements about 'forgiving' students, the context of which was not detailed in the video. The Prime Minister's Office had not issued a response to Mr. Gandhi's latest comments at the time of writing.
