- Rahul Gandhi stages dharna outside PM Modi’s residence over police action against NEET protesters
- Government says it is ready to discuss all issues related to NEET and the associated movement in Parliament
- PMO MoS Jitendra Singh accuses LoP of changing demands and seeking Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation
- Congress, SP allege excessive police action, citing injuries, lathi-charge and tear gas against protesting students
- Opposition demands accountability over alleged paper leaks, examination irregularities and student suicides
- Health Minister J. P. Nadda visits injured protesters in hospitals as government seeks talks and return to normalcy
NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, JULY 21
With angry students demanding accountability, the Opposition accusing the government of failing to protect the integrity of the country’s biggest medical entrance examination and the Centre offering a debate in Parliament, the NEET controversy escalated into a full-blown political confrontation on Tuesday.
The day saw Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi stage a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, the government extend an assurance that all issues relating to NEET and the associated movement could be discussed in Parliament, and Opposition leaders allege that police action against protesting students had been disproportionate. The government, however, accused Gandhi of changing his demand and said the Congress had not submitted formal notice for a discussion under parliamentary rules.
The widening confrontation has placed the concerns of millions of medical aspirants at the centre of a larger debate over examination integrity, institutional accountability, the right to peaceful protest and the responsibility of political parties to seek solutions through democratic institutions.
Government: ‘Ready to discuss all neet-related issues’
Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh said the government had accepted Rahul Gandhi’s initial demand for a discussion in Parliament.
According to Singh, he and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan met Gandhi and requested him to end his sit-in, as the location was not meant for protests and was causing inconvenience to the public.
Singh said that after receiving approval from the government’s top leadership, Gandhi was assured that the government was ready to discuss all issues relating to NEET and the associated movement.
However, he alleged that Gandhi subsequently added a fresh demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“For a senior leader like Shri Rahul Gandhi and the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) to go back on his word is unfortunate and contrary to every norm of democracy,” Singh said.
“The government is ready to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement… Shri Rahul Gandhi’s behaviour does not align with the principles of democracy,” he added.
Singh also said the Congress had not submitted notice for a formal discussion on the issue as required under parliamentary rules.
Opposition: ‘Who will fix accountability?’
The Congress and Samajwadi Party launched a sharp attack on the government over the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against protesters.
Congress leaders demanded accountability from the government, the Education Ministry and examination authorities.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the country required a “robust, efficient, and honest examination system” and questioned why responsibility had not been fixed on the Minister, Secretary or the National Testing Agency.
“You cannot run military-style operations every time an examination is conducted,” he said.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that protesters had suffered injuries, fractures and the effects of tear gas, and said the government should ensure treatment for those injured.
“The government should have taken the youth into confidence, but it did not,” said Congress MP Deepender Hooda, alleging that the patience and restraint of the country’s youth had “broken”.
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal asked: “How many students are in the hospital now? What crime have they committed? Only peaceful protest, is that also not allowed in this country?”
Rahul, Priyanka detained as protest escalates
Rahul Gandhi, Congress leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav were forcibly removed and detained by Delhi Police from the protest site outside the Prime Minister’s residence.
Rahul Gandhi was seen resisting as security personnel attempted to remove him and was reportedly injured in the process.
The Congress has been demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a parliamentary discussion on the NEET issue and justice for protesting students.
Nadda visits injured, government seeks dialogue
Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital to meet protesters injured during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.
He also met doctors and reviewed the condition of the injured.
The visit came amid efforts by the government to defuse tensions. Nadda had also met representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who submitted a memorandum containing demands including the resignation of the Education Minister and compensation for families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the paper leak controversy.
Government sources said no assurance was given on the three demands. However, Nadda appealed to protesters to withdraw their month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and cooperate with the administration in restoring normalcy.
The question now moves to Parliament
The government’s assurance of a parliamentary discussion has opened a possible institutional route for addressing the controversy, while the Opposition insists that discussion must be accompanied by accountability.
The political deadlock comes against the backdrop of repeated concerns over examination irregularities, alleged paper leaks and the mental agony faced by thousands of medical aspirants and their families.
As protests continue and political positions harden, the central question remains whether Parliament can become the forum for a credible examination of the NEET crisis—or whether the issue will remain locked in a confrontation over resignations, police action and competing claims of democratic conduct.
For millions of students whose careers depend on the integrity of competitive examinations, the demand is ultimately simple: a system that is fair, transparent, accountable and worthy of their trust.
