The Congress party on Wednesday, 22 July launched a sharp offensive against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, asserting he has 'no moral right' to comment on Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi and pressing for his immediate resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The pushback came a day after Pradhan accused Gandhi and the Indian National Congress (INC) of using students as 'political tools' during the ongoing protests over the exam scandal.

Congress MPs Fire Back at Pradhan

Congress MP Jebi Mather said Pradhan bore direct responsibility for the crisis. 'Dharmendra Pradhan has no moral right to even comment. Dharmendra Pradhan has the audacity to make such statements when he is the main person responsible; when he is the culprit for this kind of mismanagement of the education system, of paper leak,' she said. She added: 'Instead of stepping down, he is making big speech. He has to immediately resign, and we will go to any extent protesting and demanding that.'

Congress MP Pawan Khera was equally blunt. 'They (the government) are playing politics against the students. Tell Dharmendra Pradhan not to give such long speeches. He should simply resign. We do not want his speeches; we want his resignation,' Khera said.

What Triggered the Escalation

The confrontation intensified after LoP Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Opposition leaders, staged a sit-in protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi, demanding Pradhan's ouster. Hours later, Pradhan responded with a post on X.

In his post, Pradhan wrote: 'LoP Shri Rahul Gandhi and INC India (Indian National Congress) continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.' He further claimed that the sit-in outside the Prime Minister's residence caused public inconvenience and disregarded established security protocols.

Government's Position on NEET Debate

Pradhan maintained that the government had conveyed its readiness for a 'comprehensive discussion' on the NEET issue on the floor of the House, but alleged that Congress opted for 'political spectacle over democratic debate.' 'Their objective was never solutions for students; it was disruption for political headlines,' he remarked. The Minister concluded that students 'deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption.'

Background: The NEET Paper Leak Row

The NEET-UG paper leak controversy has roiled the Monsoon Session of Parliament, with Opposition parties demanding a Supreme Court-monitored probe and the Education Minister's resignation. Congress has maintained consistent pressure on the issue, arguing that the integrity of one of India's most high-stakes entrance examinations — taken by millions of medical aspirants annually — has been compromised under Pradhan's watch. This is the latest in a series of escalating exchanges between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition over accountability for the exam irregularities.

With both sides digging in, the standoff over the NEET leak is set to remain a flashpoint through the remainder of the Monsoon Session.