Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, 19 May appealed to NEET aspirants distressed by the cancellation of the medical entrance examination, urging them to hold firm and intensify their preparation for the re-exam now scheduled on 21 June. Kejriwal's outreach came via a post on social media platform X, where he said he had been deeply moved by the flood of responses to a video he had earlier shared on the NEET controversy.

Kejriwal's Message to Students

In his post, Kejriwal wrote: 'Dear NEET students, I am touched by the number of messages and intensity of your feelings. You trusted me, thank you. Stay strong. Make a resolve — ki doctor ban ke rahenge. God bless u all.'

In an accompanying video, Kejriwal said his earlier clip on the NEET issue had been watched by more than 50 lakh people, with thousands of students writing in to share their anxieties and personal struggles. He acknowledged the emotional weight of their messages, saying, 'Many of you shared your inner feelings. You trusted me so much, and for that, I sincerely thank you all.'

Students' Distress: Stories from the Ground

Kejriwal read out messages from affected aspirants during his video address. One student, identified as Abbu Basar, reportedly shared that this was his third consecutive drop year. He said he had spent ₹1.5 lakh on coaching in 2024, performed well, but saw his efforts undone by the NEET paper leak controversy. After preparing through self-study this year and celebrating with family following the exam, the sudden cancellation left him devastated.

Another aspirant reportedly told Kejriwal that he had lost the will to continue. Calling the students 'his own children', Kejriwal drew on personal experience: 'I have two children myself, and both studied at IIT. If their exams had been cancelled, I would have done the same for them too. All of you are my children.'

The Mantra Kejriwal Offered

Responding to the despair expressed by students, Kejriwal urged them to fortify their resolve. 'I want to give you a mantra: strengthen your determination. Tell yourself that no matter what happens, you have to become a doctor. Once you make that determination firmly, all the powers of the universe begin helping you,' he said.

AAP's Claim on Paper Leaks and Political Accountability

When a student asked whether paper leaks could ever be stopped, Kejriwal argued that honest governance is the decisive factor. He claimed that during AAP's 10 years in the Delhi government, not a single examination paper leak occurred, and that the Punjab government — also AAP-led for four years — had a similarly clean record. 'If the people sitting at the top of the system are honest, then exam papers will not leak. But if they are dishonest and corrupt, then paper leaks will definitely happen,' he said, alleging corruption at senior levels of the examination system.

Free Travel for Punjab Students: A Pledge to Bhagwant Mann

Addressing the financial hardship faced by some aspirants, Kejriwal noted that several students had written to him saying they lacked even bus fare to reach their examination centres. He said he would take up the matter with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to explore providing free travel to students in Punjab on the day of the re-exam. 'Do not lose courage. We are with you. God is with you. You all will become doctors,' he added. With the re-exam weeks away, the pressure on both students and the examination system to deliver a credible, leak-free process has never been higher.