Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday, 28 May 2026, sharply rebutted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's description of private firm COEMPT EDUTECK PVT. LTD. as 'controversial,' pointing out that the same company holds documented agreements with universities under Congress-governed states.

Context

Shekhawat's post on X directly challenged Gandhi's framing, arguing that the Congress leader was choosing 'propaganda over facts.' The minister listed four institutions — Kaloji Narayana Rao University, Telangana; Bengaluru University; Valmiki University, Raichur; and Karnataka University, Dharwad — as having formal engagements with the firm. He further noted that Telangana State Health University had officially appreciated the company's work.

Both Telangana and Karnataka are currently governed by the Indian National Congress, making the cited agreements directly relevant to Shekhawat's counter-argument. The minister posed a pointed question: if the company is 'tainted,' would Gandhi extend that charge to his own party's state governments as well?

Policy Backdrop

State governments across party lines have long awarded edtech and administrative-services contracts to private vendors for university management — a pattern that predates the current political cycle and spans both BJP- and Congress-ruled states. Universities in India remain primarily under state jurisdiction even as the central government sets broader education policy, meaning vendor selection at these institutions is the direct responsibility of the respective state administrations.

Accusations of 'tainted' or 'controversial' vendors in public education and health contracts recur frequently in Indian politics, with rival parties routinely highlighting deals signed under each other's tenures. Such exchanges typically intensify ahead of elections or when opposition figures target central schemes.

Stakeholders and Impact

The row puts the spotlight on COEMPT EDUTECK PVT. LTD. and its multi-state footprint across higher-education and health-university sectors. For the listed institutions — all state-funded — any sustained political controversy around their vendor could prompt demands for internal reviews or formal clarifications on contract terms and selection criteria.

For the Congress party, the BJP's counter-narrative complicates the messaging: if the firm's credentials are questioned at the national level, the same scrutiny logically extends to agreements signed under Congress state governments in Telangana and Karnataka. Opposition leaders will need to either clarify the specific nature of Gandhi's original objection or risk the charge of selective outrage sticking.

What's Next

The exchange is likely to escalate into parliamentary questions during the next session, with both sides seeking documentary evidence on contract values, scope, and selection procedures. Right to Information requests targeting the listed universities could surface details that either validate or complicate each party's position.

Shekhawat's post signals that the BJP intends to use Congress-governed states' own procurement records as a shield against vendor-related attacks — a template that could be deployed in future controversies involving shared private contractors across federal and state governments.