Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday, 28 May 2026, publicly challenged Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his attack on Coempt Eduteck Pvt. Ltd., asserting that Congress-governed state institutions had themselves engaged the company between 2023 and 2025.

Context

Rahul Gandhi had levelled allegations against Coempt Eduteck Pvt. Ltd., characterising the company as tainted. Rijiju responded by pointing to documented agreements and work orders involving the company that were issued under Congress-led state governments, arguing that the criticism amounted to 'selective outrage.'

Rijiju's post stated: 'If the company was genuinely tainted, then why did multiple institutions functioning under Congress governments continue to engage it?' He listed specific universities and institutions across Telangana and Karnataka as having formal dealings with the firm.

Policy Backdrop

The institutions cited by Rijiju include Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences in Telangana, Bengaluru City University, Adikavi Sri Maharshi Valmiki University, and Karnataka University, Dharwad. He also alleged that Telangana State Health University had publicly appreciated the company.

Congress has governed Karnataka since May 2023 following assembly elections, and the Telangana government has also been led by Congress since late 2023. State universities and health institutions in both states function under their respective state governments, making procurement and engagement decisions a matter of political accountability in Rijiju's framing.

Health and higher-education procurement has periodically surfaced as a flashpoint in inter-party disputes involving southern states. The BJP's broader pattern in such exchanges has been to cite documentary records from state-run autonomous institutions to rebut opposition claims of selective targeting by the central government.

Stakeholders and Impact

Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress now face direct questions about the conduct of institutions under their state governments in Telangana and Karnataka. The named universities — including Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences and Karnataka University, Dharwad — are public institutions whose procurement decisions are subject to public scrutiny.

Students, faculty, and administrators at these universities could face reputational questions if the allegations escalate into formal investigations. The broader higher-education and health procurement ecosystem in both states is now under political focus.

What's Next

A formal response from Rahul Gandhi or the Congress communications team is expected to follow, either rebutting the documentary evidence cited or offering an alternative account of the company's dealings. The exchange is likely to spill into parliamentary proceedings, with the monsoon session of Parliament providing a natural forum for both sides to press their respective positions.

Whether any state government in Telangana or Karnataka initiates an independent review of its institutional engagements with Coempt Eduteck will be a key indicator of how seriously the controversy is taken beyond the immediate political skirmish.