Modi Ji Sack Dharmendra Pradhan Now: Rahul Gandhi says NEET paper leak ‘betrayed’ 22 lakh aspirants

Rahul Gandhi has demanded the removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy affected nearly 23 lakh aspirants.

Rahul Gandhi says NEET paper leak 'betrayed' 22 lakh aspirants (Img: Internet)

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday intensified his criticism of the Centre over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, demanding the immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In a post on social media platform X, the Congress leader alleged that nearly 22 lakh students had been “cheated” because of the examination leak and questioned the Centre’s silence on the issue.

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Rahul Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should either remove the education minister or accept responsibility for the controversy himself.

NEET-UG 2026 Cancelled After Leak Findings

The National Testing Agency (NTA) earlier this week cancelled NEET-UG 2026, which had been conducted on May 3, after investigators reportedly found evidence that several questions similar to those in the examination paper had circulated before the test.

The central government later transferred the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Authorities have announced that the medical entrance examination will now be conducted again on June 21.

The cancellation has affected nearly 23 lakh candidates across the country. It is also the first time the entire NEET-UG examination has been scrapped since the NTA began conducting the test in 2019.

Previously, in 2024, the examination was partially reconducted for over 1,500 students after discrepancies in marks were reported.

CBI Arrests Another Accused

As the investigation widened, the CBI on Saturday arrested another alleged mastermind linked to the leak case.

The accused, identified as Manisha Gurunath Mandhare, is a senior Botany teacher from Pune. According to investigators, she had been associated with the NEET-UG 2026 examination process as an expert appointed by the NTA. The agency alleged that she had access to Botany and Zoology question papers and was the source of leaked Biology questions.

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Opposition Raises Student Concerns

Rahul Gandhi had also criticised the government a day earlier over reports of student suicides linked to the examination controversy.

Referring to the death of a 21-year-old student in Uttar Pradesh after the cancellation announcement, the Congress leader alleged that students were becoming victims of a “corrupt system”.

The NEET paper leak issue has now emerged as a major political flashpoint, with opposition parties demanding accountability and stronger safeguards in national-level examinations.