India
oi-Swastika Sruti
After a month of nationwide protests, after the reported deaths of 21 NEET aspirants by suicide, after 23 days of Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, after a massive youth-led march ended in alleged lathi-charge and injured students, and after the Congress staged a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has finally broken his silence on the NEET-UG agitation that has gripped the country.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused Rahul Gandhi and Congress of exploiting students amid the NEET-UG controversy for political purposes, rather than seeking solutions. Pradhan’s comments followed the detention of opposition leaders protesting outside the Prime Minister’s residence, while he affirmed the government’s commitment to discussing student issues.
On Tuesday, Dharmendra Pradhan launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing protests linked to the alleged NEET paper leak controversy.
In his first public reaction after the police action during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, Pradhan accused the Congress of using students for political gains instead of seeking solutions.
Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts: “भारत के छात्रों और प्रधानमंत्री को मेरा सीधा संदेश…”#RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/v2fuHOCBDB
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 21, 2026
One must know that his remarks came hours after Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Pawan Khera, DK Shivakumar and also Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were detained by Delhi Police from the protest site – outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.
LoP Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia chose to stage a dharna outside the Honble Prime Ministers residence , causing…
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) July 21, 2026
‘Congress Is Exploiting Students’: Pradhan
Posting his response on X, Pradhan Said that the leader of Opposition – Rahul Gandhi and the Congress continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. They chose to stage a dharna outside the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s residence , causing inconvenience to the public and disregarding established security protocols.”
He slammed the Congress protest stating, “Even after Government conveyed its readiness for a comprehensive discussion, the Congress chose political spectacle over democratic debate. Their objective was never solutions for students, it was disruption for political headlines. For Rahul Gandhi, this is not about students. This is about manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened.”
VIDEO | Congress leader Shashi Tharoor enters Mandir Marg police station where party MP Priyanka Gandhi and other party leaders have been detained after protest near PMs residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. #CongressProtest pic.twitter.com/gRGOXB3vc8
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 21, 2026
He said that the BJP government is fully committed to discuss NEET and other genuine issues of our youth. But it is the Congress who chose political headlines over real solutions.
“Our Government remains 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our youth on the floor of the House. The students of India deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign. They deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption.
We owe our students more than outrage. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. That is exactly what our government remains committed to delivering,” he said.
According to Pradhan, the Congress was more interested in creating political headlines than finding solutions to the concerns raised by students.
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) posts, “I strongly condemn the treatment meted out to @RahulGandhi Ji, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. In a parliamentary democracy, the Opposition is not an adversary of the State but an indispensable constitutional… pic.twitter.com/40UGNj2a0d
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 21, 2026
Opposition Leaders Detained During Protest
On the eve of July 21, the protesting political leader were detained Visuals from the protest showed security personnel escorting Rahul Gandhi away from the protest site, while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also taken into custody along with other opposition leaders.
The detained leaders were later released.
