Parliament Monsoon Session 2026 Day 7 Highlights | ‘Do lathi charge after every paper leak’: Asaduddin Owaisi takes a dig at new anti-paper leak Bill

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the Centre's approach to tackling paper leaks and criticised the constitution of the high-powered task force headed by Nandan Nilekani. Referring to Aadhaar, he alleged that personal data linked to the programme had previously been compromised.

In a satirical remark, Owaisi said the Bill should also provide for a lathi-charge whenever young people protest and require the Prime Minister to release a video after every paper leak. He said students had lost faith in the education and recruitment system and alleged that the government could only offer youth to “make pakodas”.

Owaisi said that he stands with Shaykh Sana, a 19-year-old who died by suicide after the re-NEET examination, asking whether new laws, videos, resignations, task forces or special courts could bring her back to her parents. He accused the government of responding to the concerns of young people without compassion.

Responding to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi's remarks during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, BJP MP Anurag Thakur urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take strict legal action against the "goons and anti-social elements" who, he alleged, tried to defame the student protests.

Thakur said even Congress leaders and some protesters had acknowledged the presence of such elements. He added that the country's youth had come out to demand a better examination system and discuss paper leaks, "not to attack police personnel or burn police vehicles."

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi remained highly popular among the country's youth, noting that the Prime Minister had been elected to a third consecutive term.

Thakur also said the Prime Minister's recent late-night message had been viewed by over 400 million people. Defending the government's record, he said the Modi government would find a permanent solution to paper leaks, just as it had addressed challenges such as terrorism and naxalism.

Union ministers Pralhad Joshi and Piyush Goyal, along with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, on Tuesday called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over remarks made by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra during proceedings in the House.

The BJP leaders raised the issue with the Speaker following Priyanka Gandhi's comments during the Lok Sabha debate.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav praised the resolve of students and youth, saying they were not intimidated by what she described as an "egoistic government."

She noted that the Jantar Mantar protest continued for over a month, with Sonam Wangchuk and several students observing a hunger strike. Yadav said Samajwadi Party leaders had visited the protest site not for political reasons but to stand in solidarity with students. Recalling her own visit, she said she had met Wangchuk and questioned the government's action on July 18 against those protesting through Gandhian principles of non-violence, alleging that authorities made Wangchuk wear "white shrouds" and, in doing so, undermined Gandhi's ideals.

"There is democracy in this country, but does that offer real independence", she asked.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said students were looking for a system that protects their future, not political arguments over paper leaks.

He said that for crores of ordinary families, a fair examination is the only gateway to opportunity. Surya added that the Modi government was undertaking structural reforms and adopting a "root-and-branch approach" to strengthen the examination system, prevent future paper leaks and address systemic shortcomings.

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi urged the government to restore its credibility by correcting its approach and fulfilling the promises it had made to students.

Addressing the house on Tuesday, she said the government should protect its credibility, act with the right intent, shed its arrogance and honour its commitments. Gandhi added that the youth had come out to protest not to bring down the government, but to restore their faith in the education system and seek accountability.

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the country's youth had lost faith in the education system despite the government's efforts to shape the public narrative.

She claimed "Prime Minister and his friends" believed it could overcome the crisis through public relations, narrative-building and what she described as "pliant" media.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the country's education system was facing multiple challenges due to centralisation and declining public investment.

She claimed that RSS' preachers were extensively incorporated and the National Testing Agency (NTA) had been "forcefully" created, making the examination system more centralised and complex. Gandhi also alleged that the education budget had been shrinking over the years. Citing figures, she said the total education budget stood at Rs 1.4 lakh crore, while Rs 1.32 lakh crore was being collected from NEET applicants and their families through examination-related charges.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi questioned why the government was "afraid" of the country's youth.

She said the government must remain accountable to young people, adding that thousands of students had, in recent days, protested peacefully by following Mahatma Gandhi's principles of truth and non-violence. Gandhi said the protesters exercised their democratic right to protest while raising their voices over issues affecting them.

Priyanka Gandhi speaks in the Lok Sabha on the Parliament Monsoon Session's 7th day.

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde extended his support to the legislation.

Shinde thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the Bill, saying it addressed the concerns of students and parents who make significant sacrifices and endure hardships to prepare for competitive examinations such as NEET. He said the legislation would help strengthen the integrity of the examination system.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee said support for the legislation should not be seen as support for accountability.

Banerjee said stronger laws may be necessary but are "not sufficient" if examinations continue to be undermined by systemic failures. He argued that no amendment, however stringent, could restore the trust that millions of students had lost unless the root causes of repeated exam irregularities were addressed.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the government should recognise how a political initiative that began "in a moment of humour" evolved into a major movement led by the youth.

Speaking on the student protests, Yadav said what started as satire became so significant that the government allowed the protesters to continue their sit-in.

Drawing a comparison with the farmers' protest in Delhi, he said there was a time when demonstrators were not heard for years, adding that the Centre repealed the three farm laws only after sustained protests and ahead of elections.

Speaking during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Parliament, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the government's handling of examination paper leaks.

Taking a dig at the ruling BJP, Yadav said, "Those who could not stop theft from Ram Mandir, how can they stop paper leaks," referring to the ongoing controversy over alleged irregularities involving temple donations in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir.