Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Saturday accused the Congress of exploiting the NEET-UG 2026 controversy for political gain, challenging the opposition party to account for its own record on examination scams that he claims plagued its years in power. The remarks came amid a broader dispute over the academic futures of an estimated 22 lakh students affected by irregularities in the national medical entrance test.

Bhandari's Challenge to Congress

Posting on his official X account, Bhandari directed the Congress to 'stop politicising' the issue and instead answer for a string of examination-related scandals he attributed to previous Congress administrations. He specifically cited alleged All India Pre-Medical Test leaks, Staff Selection Commission scams, and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) paper leaks as episodes that occurred under Congress-led governments.

Bhandari also alleged that Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra had been linked to past examination paper leak scandals, claiming that the current Congress leadership continues to extend patronage to those involved. He further contended that recruitment scams had recurred repeatedly in Congress-governed states.

BJP's Defence of the Modi Government's Response

Turning to the current administration's handling of the crisis, Bhandari argued that the Narendra Modi-led Union government acted swiftly once irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination surfaced. He said the examination was cancelled promptly to protect honest aspirants and that a re-examination was scheduled for 21 June at no additional cost to students.

Bhandari credited Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for publicly acknowledging the issue and accepting institutional responsibility — a step he contrasted with what he described as Congress's historical tendency to deflect accountability. The investigation, he noted, was immediately handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Arrests and Law Enforcement Action

The BJP spokesperson detailed the arrests made so far in connection with the paper leak. He named alleged mastermind PV Kulkarni and Biology lecturer Manisha Mandhare among those apprehended. Enforcement operations have also led to the detention of related operatives from Jaipur, Gurugram, and Nashik, according to Bhandari.

Bhandari asserted that the Union government is 'neither executing a cover-up nor maintaining silence' and is instead taking decisive action in the interest of meritorious students over what he termed 'political opportunists and exam mafias.'

The Broader Political Context

The NEET-UG controversy has become a flashpoint between the ruling BJP and the opposition, with Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi also wading into the debate. This is not the first time a national examination irregularity has triggered a political blame game — similar disputes erupted over paper leaks in 2017 and 2022, underscoring a systemic vulnerability in India's high-stakes examination infrastructure that successive governments have struggled to address. The CBI investigation and the June re-examination will be closely watched as indicators of whether accountability in this instance extends beyond rhetoric.