Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday, 28 July demanded accountability from the government over the use of pellet guns and AK-47s against student protesters who had taken to the streets over examination irregularities, saying the entire nation and parents of injured students deserve answers on who authorised the force.

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Priyanka Gandhi trained her fire on the Centre, calling for action against those responsible for both the exam irregularities and the crackdown on protesters.

What Priyanka Gandhi Said on the Floor

'Are students terrorists? What was the need to use pellet guns and AK-47 against them? The Congress and the entire nation want to know who gave the order to use these guns against students,' she said in the House.

She recounted the story of a mother whose daughter was injured in police action during the student protests — a woman who, according to Priyanka Gandhi, refused outside help and vowed to fight the battle alone. The Congress leader used the account to underscore what she described as a failure of the state to protect its own citizens.

Exam System 'Has Itself Failed', Says Congress MP

Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the examination system is in a state of deep decay, citing what she described as 152 paper leaks over the last decade affecting over 750 crore students — with, she claimed, not a single member of the alleged paper-leak mafia punished. The figures were cited by her in Parliament and have not been independently verified.

'The students are disillusioned. Money is overshadowing merit. They want the system that is endangering their future to be improved,' she said, referring specifically to the alleged NEET paper leak that triggered the nationwide student agitation.

She also expressed concern over what she called a 'rousing welcome' given to former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Parliament premises within days of his resignation — a gesture she argued sent the wrong signal on accountability.

Akhilesh Yadav Backs Student Movement

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav also addressed the debate, asserting that the country's youth had demonstrated their power to compel government action. He said the recent student movement over examination irregularities had forced the Centre to concede several of the protesters' demands — a sign, he argued, of the movement's effectiveness.

The Broader Context: NEET and Exam Integrity

The debate comes amid sustained public anger over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, which triggered student protests across multiple states earlier this year. The protests drew national attention after reports emerged of police using force — including, according to opposition accounts, pellet guns — to disperse demonstrators. The government has not officially confirmed the use of such weapons, and the matter remains contested.

Critics argue that the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, while a step toward reform, does not adequately address the structural failures that allowed repeated paper leaks to go unpunished. With Parliament now debating the bill, the opposition is using the floor to press for answers that, they say, the government has so far avoided giving.