Punjab Newsline | New Delhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday addressed a press conference at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, strongly condemning the alleged police action against students during the July 20 "Parliament Chalo" march. He accused security forces of using excessive force and renewed his attack on the Centre over recurring examination paper leaks, particularly the NEET controversy.

Opening the press conference with a video presentation, Rahul Gandhi played clips of students participating in the July 20 protest, claiming they were subjected to a severe lathi-charge by police and security personnel.

Questioning the use of force, Rahul said, "Why were students beaten so brutally? Around 7.5 crore students and their families have been affected by paper leaks, yet no one has been punished."

Sharing his own experience during the protest, Rahul alleged that police personnel physically assaulted him while trying to remove him from the protest site.

"When the police came to move me, one officer whispered in my ear, 'Remove the government.' I was dragged, my mouth started bleeding, and I was punched two or three times. But Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign," he said.

Highlighting the issue of examination paper leaks, Rahul Gandhi claimed that more than 152 paper leaks have occurred across the country over the last decade, affecting nearly 7.5 crore students, while alleging that no one has been punished in any of these cases.

He also compared government spending on education with the financial burden on families, claiming that the Union government's education budget stands at ₹1.4 lakh crore, while Indian families collectively spend around ₹1.32 lakh crore on NEET preparation, calling it an enormous burden on students.

During his presentation, Rahul Gandhi put forward three key demands:

  • Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign.

  • Strict action should be taken against those responsible for the alleged assault on students.

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to students over the handling of the issue.

The remarks come amid continuing political debate over examination paper leaks and the Centre's handling of student-related issues, with the Congress intensifying its criticism of the government over education reforms and examination integrity.