NDA leaders on Wednesday rallied behind the Union government over its handling of the anti-NEET leak protests in New Delhi, simultaneously accusing Opposition parties of politicising student grievances and engineering disorder. Even so, several ruling-alliance leaders acknowledged that the Centre must open a dialogue with the demonstrating students.

BJP's Call for Dialogue — With Caveats

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brij Bhushan Singh urged the government to engage directly with the protesting students and take their concerns seriously. 'The government can talk to the students about everything. They are not just Rahul Gandhi's children; they are the children of this country, and they are also the government's children. So, the government should engage with them. If there has been any lapse, then regret should also be expressed,' Singh said.

Singh, whose residence is near the Jantar Mantar protest site, said he had personally observed the demonstration. 'The entire protest was happening at my doorstep. My house is at Jantar Mantar, and I watched it from morning to evening,' he noted. He contended, however, that the movement had been diverted from its original purpose by political actors. 'I would like to tell students that your protest was for a good cause, I support it, but it got hijacked by the Left and Right groups,' he claimed.

Opposition Accused of 'Hijacking' the Movement

Singh alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Left-affiliated groups had appropriated what began as a genuine student-led agitation. 'Rahul Gandhi, or the Left and others, have no role in this. They have hijacked the students' movement because on their call nothing is going to happen. Students from all over the country came and participated in that protest, now it has been misdirected,' he claimed.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rahul Sinha echoed the criticism, alleging that the Indian National Congress (INC) was opportunistically latching onto the NEET controversy while carrying its own record of corruption allegations. 'They think they have found an issue now. But Congress has committed so many scams, and Rahul Gandhi should think about those first. Only then should he think about staging a dharna or holding protests,' Sinha claimed. He added that the NEET examination issue was already under the government's active consideration and did not require Opposition intervention.

JD(U) Slams Congress Protest Near PM's Residence

Janata Dal (United) leader Umesh Kushwaha sharply criticised the Congress protest staged near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence — held a day after the student demonstration at Jantar Mantar and the subsequent police action against protesters. Kushwaha alleged that Opposition leaders were attempting to manufacture chaos rather than pursue legitimate democratic channels.

'What happened yesterday has never been seen in the country's history. In a democracy, everyone has the right to express their views, but no one has the right to take the law into their own hands. If they want to raise issues concerning students, the government is ready to discuss them in the House. Instead, they tried to create chaos,' Kushwaha said.

Context: The NEET Controversy

The protests were triggered by allegations of a paper leak in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), India's centralised medical entrance examination. The controversy has drawn widespread student anger and calls for a re-examination or systemic overhaul of the testing process. This comes amid a broader national debate over the integrity of competitive examinations, with multiple high-profile paper leak incidents reported in recent years.

The government's response — and whether it moves beyond verbal assurances to concrete structural reform — will determine whether the agitation subsides or intensifies in the days ahead.