Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal on Friday, 17 July launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and questioning why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not met Ladakh social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for 20 days over the NEET paper leak scandal. Sapkal argued that Wangchuk's concerns mirror those raised by the Congress, making the government's silence all the more telling.

The NEET Crisis at the Centre of the Protest

Sapkal told reporters that the NEET paper leak has compromised the academic futures of nearly 2.4 million students across the country. He accused the Union government of trivialising what he called a 'mega student crisis,' noting that Modi had not addressed the NEET controversy even once in his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address.

The Congress has been pressing for Pradhan's exit since the paper leak came to light. Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has launched a nationwide campaign titled 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (The Echo of Students) specifically to demand the Education Minister's resignation, according to Sapkal.

Wangchuk's Fast and the Government's Response

Sapkal recalled that when Wangchuk previously staged a protest demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, the BJP government detained him under the National Security Act (NSA). He argued that attempts to link the Congress party to Wangchuk's current fast in order to deflect blame were 'highly misleading.'

When asked whether Rahul Gandhi would personally meet Wangchuk, Sapkal redirected the question, insisting that the focus should remain on the Centre's inaction rather than the Opposition's response to it. This comes amid growing pressure from civil society groups for a high-level government intervention to address the activist's deteriorating health.

Ayodhya Temple Theft and RSS Invitation Row

Sapkal also broadened his attack to include the reported theft at Ayodhya's Ram Temple, alleging that individuals directly appointed by the Modi government were involved. He dismissed the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the incident as a 'puppet of the BJP government' that would, in his view, never identify the real culprits.

On the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s invitation to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat for their upcoming 'Ram Raksha' programme, Sapkal challenged both leaders to accept and attend. He alleged that the BJP and RSS follow what he termed a policy of 'Ram Naam Japna, Paraya Maal Apna' — invoking religion while allegedly benefiting from corruption.

NCP-SP Friction Dismissed

Addressing media speculation about internal divisions within the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Sapkal chose to downplay the reports. He said senior NCP-SP leaders, including Jayant Patil and MP Supriya Sule, had already issued clear statements on their party's position, and urged journalists to rely on official communications rather than rumour.

With Wangchuk's fast entering its third week and the NEET row showing no signs of resolution, the political pressure on the Centre over the education scandal is likely to intensify in the days ahead.