The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 17 June launched a sharp attack on the Indian National Congress (Congress) and Rahul Gandhi over the party's planned nationwide student conventions on NEET paper leaks, calling the move 'irresponsible and insensitive' and accusing the Opposition of a 'toolkit mindset' aimed at stoking unrest just days before the NEET (UG) retest on 21 June.

The retest was scheduled after the original May 3 examinations were cancelled following confirmed paper leaks — a controversy that has rattled India's medical entrance ecosystem and drawn widespread student anger.

BJP's Broadside at the Press Conference

BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, speaking at the party's headquarters in New Delhi, questioned the Congress's timing and intent. 'There are many opportunities to do politics, you can do it after June 21, when the examinations are over. I want to ask you, why have you chosen this moment only?' he said.

Trivedi accused Congress and Rahul Gandhi of exploiting students' sentiments to advance political ambitions, arguing that staging conventions while aspirants are in the final stages of exam preparation amounts to deliberate disruption. 'When the students are engrossed in their studies, are in the final stages of preparation for the impending exams, why does Rahul Gandhi want to stoke apprehension and fear in the minds of wards regarding NEET re-exams?' he asked.

The Kota Question

Trivedi posed pointed questions about Congress's choice of Kota, Rajasthan — India's largest coaching hub — as the launch city for its student conventions. He argued that holding a protest rally in a city where hundreds of thousands of students are preparing for competitive examinations was a deliberate attempt to distract and destabilise aspirants.

He further alleged that coaching institute owners and paying-guest accommodation operators in Kota were being 'intimidated' and 'forced' to send students to participate in the Congress event — a claim that Congress has not publicly responded to as of this report.

Paper Leak Record and Political Counterpunch

Trivedi also drew a contrast between the two governments' records on examination integrity, asserting that 19 paper leaks occurred during the Congress-led administration in Rajasthan, while the subsequent BJP government not only achieved zero paper leaks but also acted against more than 400 suspects. These figures are attributed to the BJP spokesperson and have not been independently verified.

He described the Congress campaign as 'a planned and plotted campaign to spread anarchy and chaos', framing it as consistent with what he called the party's established pattern of disruption.

Congress's Position and the Kota Convention

Congress had announced a series of nationwide student conventions, with the first scheduled at Shri Ram Rangmanch, Dussehra Ground, Kota on Wednesday evening. The party has accused the Modi government of failing to protect the aspirations of millions of students by allowing examination malpractice to occur.

The political confrontation underscores the high stakes around NEET — an examination that determines medical college admissions for lakhs of students across India. With the retest four days away, the dispute over how and when to protest has itself become a flashpoint between the two parties.