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Rahul Gandhi sought to assure the protesting students of the Congress’ full support and demanded an apology from PM Modi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaking on students’ protests. (PTI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that talks were going on in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet about shifting Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry amid ongoing protests over the NEET-UG paper leak.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi after meeting protesting students in Jantar Mantar, Gandhi described Pradhan as “corrupt and incompetent” and alleged that the education system had been hijacked.
“These days, we receive information from within the government. There is some talk going on in PM Modi’s Cabinet that the solution is to move Dharmendra Pradhan from Education to some other ministry. This is not acceptable to the students of India or anybody. The reason is that Pradhan is a symbol of corruption and of what has happened to the future of India’s children,” he said.
VIDEO | Delhi: During a press conference, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) says, “There is some talk going on. These days, we receive information from within the government. There is discussion in PM Modi’s Cabinet that the solution is to move Dharmendra Pradhan from the… pic.twitter.com/fR0ghDf6UV— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 25, 2026
“There is going to be no conversation about Mr Dharmendra Pradhan being moved here, moved there, put behind or forward. Dharmendra Pradhan has to be sacked,” he asserted.
Rahul Gandhi also sought to assure the students that the Congress fully backed the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“There are thousands of youngsters who have had lathis break their legs, lathis break their heads, pellets in their bodies. The people who have done this, the organisers and the implementers, need to be punished and made accountable. The leader of this entire machinery that is doing this, PM Narendra Modi, has to apologise for what he has done to the students and the future of this country,” he said.
He also emphasised that students represented the country’s future and no amount of intimidation or threats could shake their resolve. “If they want to stop, if they want to threaten, they can do anything. We are not going to step back.”
His remarks came as the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protests at Jantar Mantar are set to enter their fifth week amid widespread anger over the recent NEET paper leak, with students demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
The government and the CJP delegation are scheduled to hold the third round of talks on Saturday to resolve the situation. The Centre has taken a slew of actions, including strengthening the anti-paper leak law and terminating the services of up to 47 officials in the National Testing Agency (NTA).
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in int…Read More
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