UP Congress demands Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over paper leak crisis
Synopsis
A day after PM Modi promised stricter Cabinet-level action on paper leaks, UP Congress leaders turned up the heat — demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's head and alleging police brutality against student protesters. The episode underscores that for the Opposition, legislative fixes without political accountability are a non-starter.
Key Takeaways
UP Congress leaders on 24 July demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the examination paper leak controversy.
Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh alleged paper leaks have persisted for more than five years without systemic redress.
UP Congress President Ajay Rai alleged police used batons against student protesters, including a specific incident involving a female demonstrator.
PM Modi announced via his official X account on Thursday night that the Cabinet would introduce stricter anti-paper-leak legislation.
Congress maintains that legislative reform without the Education Minister's resignation is inadequate political accountability.
Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders on Friday, 24 July sharply escalated their offensive against the Centre over the ongoing examination paper leak controversy, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and alleging that students staging protests were being subjected to police brutality. The statements came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in a video message that the Cabinet was preparing stricter legislation to tackle paper leaks.
Congress Leaders' Key Allegations
Speaking in Lucknow, Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh argued that the government's response to repeated paper leak incidents had been wholly inadequate. 'These are all excuses. Examination papers have been leaking for more than five years. Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly raised the issue, saying that there are serious flaws in our education system, examination system, and the overall process, and that these need to be fixed. Why hasn't the government addressed these problems?' Singh said.
Singh further alleged that those directly responsible for the leaks remained unaccountable. 'It is their own people who are responsible for the paper leaks. Why hasn't the minister been asked to resign?' he asked.
Allegations of Police Action Against Protesters
Singh also claimed that students demonstrating against the paper leak controversy and Opposition leaders raising the issue were facing repression. 'Students protesting are being subjected to brutal baton charges, and the entire Opposition is being harassed for raising these issues. Parliament is not being allowed to function properly whenever the Opposition seeks to press its demands,' he alleged.
Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai echoed these concerns, accusing the government of using force against student protesters to divert attention from what he called 'donation theft and fund misappropriation.' 'It is extremely unfortunate. To divert attention from the issues of donation theft and fund misappropriation, they are completely suppressing the voices of children today. They are beating them with batons and humiliating them,' Rai said. He further alleged, referring to visuals from the protests, 'I saw how a girl was attacked with batons on her private parts; it is very unfortunate.'
What PM Modi Announced
The Congress offensive followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video message posted on his official X account on Thursday night, in which he stated, 'More strict actions against paper leaks to come in tomorrow's Cabinet!' Modi said the government had taken several measures over the preceding two-and-a-half months, resulting in the arrest and imprisonment of those responsible, and assured that a comprehensive Bill would be placed before Parliament to strengthen the legal framework against paper leaks.
Congress Stance: Laws Alone Are Not Enough
Reacting to the Prime Minister's announcement, the Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders maintained that legislative changes alone were insufficient. Ajay Rai demanded, 'The government must ensure that Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. He should be dismissed.' The party insists that political accountability — specifically the Education Minister's exit — must accompany any systemic reform of the examination process. This comes amid a broader national debate on the integrity of competitive examinations, with paper leak allegations having surfaced across multiple high-stakes tests in recent years. With Cabinet deliberations on a new anti-leak law reportedly imminent, the political pressure on the government is set to intensify further.
Point of View
But the underlying question it raises is harder to dismiss: why have paper leaks recurred across multiple examinations over five-plus years without a structural fix? Modi's announcement of tougher legislation is a familiar playbook — law-as-response to systemic failure — but the Opposition's accountability framing shifts the burden to personnel, not just process. The allegations of police action against student protesters, if verified, add a civil-liberties dimension that could widen the political damage well beyond the education ministry. The real test will be whether the promised Cabinet Bill contains enforceable, time-bound accountability mechanisms — or whether it becomes another headline that outlasts its impact.
NationPress
24 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are UP Congress leaders demanding Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation?
UP Congress leaders are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, holding him politically accountable for repeated examination paper leaks that they allege have persisted for over five years. They argue that legislative reform alone, without ministerial accountability, is insufficient.
What did PM Modi announce about the paper leak issue?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video message posted on his official X account on Thursday night, announced that the Cabinet was preparing stricter legislation with more stringent punishments for examination paper leak cases. He also stated that government action over the previous two-and-a-half months had led to arrests and imprisonment of those responsible.
What allegations have been made about the treatment of student protesters?
Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh alleged that students protesting the paper leak controversy were subjected to brutal baton charges by police. UP Congress President Ajay Rai made a specific allegation regarding a female protester being attacked, calling it 'very unfortunate.' These are allegations and have not been independently verified.
How long have examination paper leaks been a concern, according to Congress?
According to Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh, examination papers have been leaking for more than five years, and the government has failed to address systemic flaws in the country's examination process despite repeated calls from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
What is the Congress's position on the government's proposed anti-leak legislation?
The Congress has stated that legislative changes alone are insufficient and has reiterated that the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is a non-negotiable demand alongside any systemic examination reforms.
