Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Rajasthan Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore on 17 June launched a sharp pre-emptive attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of his scheduled visit to Kota, alleging the student interaction was nothing more than 'political tourism' designed to damage the reputation of India's premier coaching hub.

BJP's Core Charge

Addressing reporters in Kota, Rathore questioned the timing of Gandhi's programme, which was set for just four days before the NEET examination. 'The Congress prince is coming to Kota for political tourism,' Rathore said. 'The sole objective is to malign Kota's reputation as an education hub. The NEET paper leak case is linked to Maharashtra, so why is an event being organised in Kota?' he asked.

Congress Called Out on Paper Leak Record

Rathore argued that Congress had no moral authority to champion student causes, claiming that 19 paper leaks occurred during the previous Congress-led state government in Rajasthan. 'When the dreams of Rajasthan's youth were being shattered by repeated paper leaks, where was Rahul Gandhi? Why didn't he think about the youth then?' he said. He further noted that even former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot had repeatedly raised the paper leak issue against his own party's government — a point the BJP has used to underline what it calls Congress's credibility gap on the issue.

Stress on Students, BJP Alleges

Rathore alleged that summoning students to a public interaction days before a high-stakes exam would heighten anxiety rather than ease it. 'Students are focused on their preparations. Bringing them to protests and political events just four days before NEET will create unnecessary stress,' he said. He also claimed that photographs from a preparatory meeting chaired by Kota North MLA Shanti Dhariwal showed Congress workers rather than genuine students in attendance, suggesting the event would be a 'political spectacle' rather than a meaningful student dialogue.

Rajasthan Energy Minister Joins the Attack

Rajasthan Energy Minister Heeralal Nagar also dismissed Congress allegations that students were being prevented from attending the event. 'Kota Congress leaders are going from coaching institute to coaching institute urging students to attend. But students are focused on their studies. The Congress programme is turning into a flop show, and out of frustration they are making baseless allegations,' Nagar said.

NEET Probe and Gandhi's Kota Agenda

The BJP also highlighted that Rajasthan's Special Operations Group (SOG) had made significant breakthroughs in the NEET paper leak investigation before the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), uncovering a network operating from Pune and Latur in Maharashtra and leading to multiple arrests. Gandhi's visit to Kota on 17 June was aimed at interacting with students on examination stress, paper leaks, and student suicides — issues that have become intensely politically charged in the run-up to the NEET exam. Whether his engagement with students translates into substantive policy pressure or remains a contested photo opportunity will likely define the political narrative around the visit.