Rahul Gandhi demands Education Minister Pradhan’s sacking over NEET paper leak

Rahul also said that if Pradhan is not sacked, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should himself take responsibility for the paper leak.

NEET के 22 लाख बच्चों के साथ धोखा हुआ है। पर मोदी जी एक शब्द भी नहीं बोल रहे।

धर्मेंद्र प्रधान जी को अभी हटाइए, या जवाबदेही ख़ुद लीजिए।

Modi ji, SACK Dharmendra Pradhan ji NOW. pic.twitter.com/6FRMMa8AI8

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 16, 2026

The NEET-UG 2026 exam was cancelled following the paper leak, with a retest now scheduled for June 21. So far, nine accused have been arrested from Delhi, Jaipur, Gurgaon, Nashik, Pune and Ahilyanagar. Of these, five have already been remanded to seven days of police custody. Two accused arrested earlier were produced before a Pune court, granted transit remand and shifted to Delhi, where they are being produced before the court.

In a post on X, Gandhi said: “22 lakh NEET kids have been cheated. But Modi ji isn’t saying a word. Remove Dharmendra Pradhan ji right now, or take responsibility yourself. Modi ji, sack Dharmendra Pradhan ji now.”

In a video statement along with the post, Rahul said: “The entire country knows that two days before the examination, the NEET question paper was distributed. Dharmendra Pradhan, who is the Union Minister for Education, says he has nothing to do with it. A committee had made some recommendations but he said that Opposition people were sitting in committee and it has no meaning.”

Rahul’s reference was to a Parliamentary committee headed by by Rajya Sabha MP and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, which had in December last year said in a report that the National Testing Agency (NTA) “has not inspired much confidence”, and it should quickly get its act together, and use the surplus of Rs 448 crore it has collected in the past six years to build its capabilities and conduct tests itself.

Rahul alleged that the truth was that the government has “damaged the core of India”. “This is a nexus of RSS-BJP and their people in universities as V-Cs and professors. There is a nexus of making money and this nexus has finished the education sector of the country. The whole country knows that if one wants to become a V-C, you don’t need subject knowledge or experience. If you belong to RSS, you can become a V-C and can’t become one if you are not from the RSS. The Prime Minister should immediately pass an order to sack Dharmendra Pradhan and the guilty should be arrested,” he said.

Rahul has on multiple occasions alleged that people belonging to the RSS have been appointed without merit as vice-chancellors and professors in universities across India.