Centre’s Failure Over NEET Paper Leak Has Forced Students Onto the Streets: Padmaraj
Mangaluru: KPCC General Secretary Padmaraj R. Poojary alleged that the Central government’s failure to prevent the NEET question paper leak has pushed students across the country to protest on the streets. He also condemned the alleged assault on students during the protests. He criticized the treatment of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who joined demonstrations condemning the alleged police action, calling it an example of “authoritarianism.”
Addressing a press conference at the Dakshina Kannada District Congress office on Friday, July 24, Padmaraj said that if the Central government had any sense of moral responsibility, it should accept accountability for the incident and seek the resignation of the Union Education Minister.
He claimed that the entire world witnessed, through social media, the manner in which protesting students in Delhi were allegedly treated. He further alleged that BJP workers were used to suppress the protests and said the visuals reminded him of atrocities committed during India’s freedom struggle. “These incidents raise serious concerns about whether humanity still exists among those responsible,” he remarked.
Referring to allegations that foreign funding and anti-national elements were involved in the student protests, Padmaraj questioned the Centre’s claims. “If such allegations are true, is the BJP governing the country or merely making accusations? What are the intelligence agencies doing? Are they functioning only to target political opponents?” he asked.
He also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent social media message describing students as the nation’s assets. “The incidents in Delhi contradict those words,” Padmaraj said. He argued that while authorities could act within the law if a peaceful protest turned violent, videos circulating on social media allegedly showed female students being assaulted and their clothes torn despite the government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. He described the visuals of students pleading with security personnel as “heartbreaking.”
Padmaraj said Rahul Gandhi had been engaging with students on issues such as the NEET paper leak and the education policy, while also boosting their confidence. “The government should have learned from this approach instead of suppressing protests,” he said.
He further alleged that 22 students had died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper leak controversy, describing the deaths as the result of the Central government’s failure and calling them “nothing short of murder.”
Highlighting what he described as repeated examination failures, Padmaraj noted that the National Testing Agency (NTA), established after the BJP came to power in 2014 to conduct competitive examinations, including NEET, had allegedly witnessed the leakage of 152 examination papers so far. He demanded that the Central government explain the action taken against the NTA and the oversight mechanisms in place to prevent such incidents.
Padmaraj also urged students to remain vigilant against political exploitation. “Political parties often use students as pawns. Students should never become victims of political agendas,” he said.
Turning to the Ayodhya Ram Temple issue, Padmaraj said India was built on religious faith and that Ayodhya holds immense significance as the birthplace of Lord Ram. Recalling that donations, including bricks and Rs 1.25, were collected from households across the country during the Ram Temple movement, he demanded transparency in the use of those contributions.
While welcoming the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe alleged financial irregularities related to the Ram Temple Trust, Padmaraj said this alone was insufficient. He called for the Trust to make public a complete audit report detailing how the donations collected from the people had been utilized.