Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Jagdish Vishwakarma on Thursday, 23 July accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party of pursuing a 'dangerous trend' of misleading students over the examination paper leak controversy, alleging that the Opposition was exploiting the crisis for political gain rather than engaging in substantive parliamentary debate. The accusations were made at a press conference held at the BJP state headquarters in Gandhinagar, in the presence of Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani.

Key Accusations Against Congress

Vishwakarma charged that the Opposition's conduct had strayed beyond legitimate democratic protest. 'A dangerous trend of misleading the youth of the country is being adopted by Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. Their objective is not to secure justice for students but to mislead them for political gain. Instead of making a serious issue like paper leaks a political matter, there should be meaningful discussion in Parliament, but the Opposition is trying to provoke the youth instead,' he said.

He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had 'crossed the limits of democracy and the Constitution' by attempting to march towards the Prime Minister's residence — a move he termed 'highly condemnable.' Vishwakarma also claimed that a notice had already been submitted under Rule 193 for a parliamentary discussion on the NEET issue, but the Opposition had chosen to stay away from the debate while 'attempting to spread confusion across the country.'

Government's Response to the NEET Crisis

Vishwakarma defended the BJP-led Central Government's handling of the controversy, listing a series of steps taken after the NEET paper leak surfaced. These included registering complaints through the Ministry of Education, handing the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT), and arresting the accused. The government had also sought daily court hearings to expedite punishment, he said.

He added that the re-examination was conducted within the stipulated timeframe and that results were declared on schedule. According to Vishwakarma, a large number of candidates — including a significant proportion of female students — qualified in the examination.

Fast-Track Courts and Future Safeguards

Vishwakarma also cited an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same day regarding the establishment of fast-track courts for paper leak cases. 'The Prime Minister has announced that Fast Track Courts will be established so that those guilty in paper leak cases receive the strictest possible punishment at the earliest and such cases are disposed of swiftly. This is an important decision in the series of measures being taken to safeguard students' interests. No one who tampers with the future of the youth will be spared under any circumstances,' he said.

He also noted that a decision had been taken to introduce a computer-based examination system for NEET to make the process more transparent and secure going forward.

BJP Cites Congress-Ruled States in Paper Leak Cases

Turning the spotlight on the Opposition's own record, Vishwakarma alleged that examination irregularities and paper leak incidents had occurred under Congress governments and in states governed by Congress or its alliance partners. He named Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala, and Karnataka as states where such incidents had reportedly surfaced — though he did not provide specific case details.

Vishwakarma framed the paper leak problem as a national concern, not one attributable to any single state or party, and called on all stakeholders to work together in the national interest rather than 'give it a political colour.' He appealed to young people to stay away from what he termed 'misleading politics and the politics of anarchy' and to continue contributing to nation-building. With fast-track courts now announced and a CBI probe under way, the coming weeks will test whether the government's institutional response translates into convictions — and whether that is enough to satisfy students demanding accountability.