Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday, 29 July challenged Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to explain his silence on paper leak cases in states governed by the Indian National Congress and its INDIA bloc allies. Thakur's remarks, made outside Parliament in New Delhi, escalated a running political confrontation over examination irregularities that have affected lakhs of student aspirants across the country.

What Thakur Said

Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Thakur pointed to alleged paper leaks under multiple Opposition-governed states. 'During Akhilesh Yadav's government in Uttar Pradesh, the state became known for paper leaks. Even appointments to the Public Service Commission were allegedly influenced by caste considerations,' he said.

Thakur further alleged that five major scams and paper leaks took place in Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, 'directly betraying the trust of nearly five lakh young aspirants.' He also named Jharkhand and Karnataka — both governed by Congress or its allies — as states where similar issues had gone unaddressed by Gandhi. 'Will he speak on them, or will he remain selective? This exposes their real face,' Thakur said.

The BJP leader also accused Opposition figures of exploiting student grievances for political gain. 'Those who are currently out on bail in corruption cases are talking about the interests of students,' he said, adding, 'They want to do politics on the shoulders of students.'

BJP's Protest Over JPSC Paper Leak

Earlier on the same day, several BJP MPs — including parliamentarians from Jharkhand — staged a protest within the Parliament premises over the alleged paper leak in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination. The protesting MPs demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the matter and called for the resignation of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

The examinations facing allegations of paper leaks, security lapses, or fraud in Jharkhand include the JSSC CGL examination, JPSC Combined Civil Services Examination, Excise Constable Recruitment Examination, JAC Class 10 Board Examination, and the NEET-UG examination.

Maliwal's Allegations Against AAP in Punjab

The BJP offensive was reinforced a day earlier when Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal accused the AAP government in Punjab of failing to curb examination irregularities. Maliwal claimed the state had witnessed six major paper leak incidents over the past five years.

'There have been six major paper leaks in Punjab over the last five years, and several instances of cheating in examinations have also come to light. Even on 19 July, there was large-scale cheating reported in a pharmacy examination,' Maliwal alleged. She further claimed that Arvind Kejriwal, whom she described as functioning like a 'super CM' in Punjab, had 'remained completely silent on the issue.'

The Broader Context

The paper leak controversy has become a flashpoint in Indian politics in recent months, with the NEET-UG irregularities drawing nationwide student protests and parliamentary debate. This comes amid sustained pressure on the Centre over the National Testing Agency's (NTA) handling of competitive examinations. Notably, while the BJP has sought to redirect scrutiny toward Opposition-ruled states, critics argue that the Centre's own examination oversight is equally under the scanner. The political blame game risks overshadowing the core demand of affected students: credible, time-bound redressal.