New Delhi, July 22: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the government of exploiting students and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Home Minister Amit Shah over the NEET paper leak controversy.

LoP Rahul Gandhi, who was detained by Delhi Police during a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg and later released, said the issue must be debated in both Houses of Parliament.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the Speaker of the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, LoP Rahul Gandhi said he had requested a debate on the treatment of students during Monday’s protests.

“The Speaker said he needed to take permission from the Government, but it was very clear to us in the hours after that that there was no interest in the Government of having a debate,” he said.

He added that the Opposition then decided to stage a dharna outside the Prime Minister’s residence to bring the students’ issue to national attention.

“This is the most crucial issue for the country, along with what has been done against them,” Gandhi remarked.

Questioning the state of the education system, LoP Rahul Gandhi asked: “Why is the Indian education system collapsing? Why are papers leaking? Why is education so expensive in India? Why do families have to destroy themselves financially to educate their children? These are legitimate questions, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking them.”

Outlining the students’ demands, Gandhi said they included the resignation of Pradhan and Shah, action against those who beat and humiliated the students, and the withdrawal of all cases registered against them.

He added that the entire Opposition wanted the issue debated in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

“My suggestion to Modi ji, as LoP, is that for what happened yesterday, what your Government and your Home Minister did, you should apologise to the students of the country and start reforms in the examination system and education system as soon as possible,” LoP Rahul Gandhi said.

Thanking supporters, he added: “You all supported us. To everyone fighting together for the cause of the students, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.”

The confrontation highlights the deepening rift between the government and the Opposition over the sensitive issue of paper leaks in competitive examinations, which continues to affect lakhs of students across the country.

New Delhi, July 21: Police forcibly removed Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several opposition MPs from their dharna site near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence in New Delhi on Tuesday, after they marched towards Lok Kalyan Marg demanding action over alleged examination paper leaks and police action against student protesters.

Rahul Gandhi, who sat on the road refusing to leave, was surrounded by several police personnel before being escorted into a police vehicle along with other opposition leaders. The protest came a day after a students’ march to Parliament witnessed police intervention.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi led party workers from Kharge’s residence to the Prime Minister’s residence, intensifying the opposition’s campaign on education-related issues. Before being detained, Rahul appealed to people to join the dharna, saying, “An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family,” and accused the government of failing to answer concerns raised by students.

In a significant development, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi at the protest site. Congress leaders said the talks remained inconclusive as the party insisted on the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a discussion in Parliament on alleged examination paper leaks.

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the party would continue its protest until its demands were met. Jitendra Singh, however, maintained that the government was ready to hold a discussion in Parliament on education-related issues and alleged that the Congress later made the minister’s resignation a precondition.

The Congress has also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologise or resign over the police action against protesters during Monday’s march. The protest received support from opposition leaders, including NCP(SP) MP Supriya Sule, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP(SP) president Sharad Pawar and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, signalling broader opposition backing for the agitation.

New Delhi, July 21: Amid the Opposition’s criticism over the violence during the NEET-UG paper leak protest, the National Democratic Alliance leaders on Tuesday came in support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that the government took swift action over the exam irregularities, asserting that the Centre stands with the country’s ‘Yuva Shakti’ (youth power).

During the NDA’s ‘Mangal Milan’ programme, PM Modi stated that the issue of paper leaks is “not limited” to a single state or the Central government; rather, it is a “matter of concern for the entire nation”, while adding that the government has acted promptly, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals related to the case so far.

Responding to the same, Union Minister and Republican Party of India (A) chief Ramdas Athawale said: “The Prime Minister has explained about the NEET exam that whatever has happened is not right, and lakhs of students have faced difficulties. Those who have made such an attempt have all been caught, and they should be punished severely.”

“He (Prime Minister) has said that along with the Central government, it is also the responsibility of the state governments and their administration to ensure that such instances don’t occur during exams,” Athawale told media outside Parliament House.

He asserted that the “government stands with Yuva Shakti”.

“We are in the government due to the youths. Whatever Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is saying is baseless,” the Union Minister added.

NCP MP Praful Patel added that Prime Minister Modi “heavily praised” the youth power of India.

“To further promote this youth power and keep their future secure, we should take all possible steps. Incidents like NEET and other such events that have occurred should never be repeated; we have taken a resolve for this too. The contribution of India’s youth, from space to every field, has been greatly praised by PM Modi,” he told media.

Further, BJP MP Ravi Kishan said: “PM Modi has given a big message that the best legal counsel in the country should be hired to ensure that all those involved (in paper leaks) are severely punished so that going ahead no one dares to mess with the future of the children in the nation, just to earn a few lakhs of rupees.”

However, AIMIM chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the Centre, asking, “What about the students who died? What about those who had to reappear for the exam but could not secure the same rank? Their time has already been lost. What will you do for them?”

This comes a day after scores of students, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), attempted to march to Parliament demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the May 3 NEET paper leak.