"Why Are You So Selective?" Centre On Rahul Gandhi's Paper Leak Charges

The Central government on Wednesday mounted a counteroffensive against Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi amid his barrage of attacks over NEET protests, accusing him of being "selective" and ignoring paper leaks in states and union territories ruled by the Congress and its allies.

Hours after Gandhi alleged that over 150 paper leaks had taken place over the past 10 years under the BJP rule, Union Minister JP Nadda accused the Congress leader of attempting to gain political mileage from the students' protest.

"If I talk about the paper leak in the Service Selection Board examination in Jammu and Kashmir, where the government is of the Congress and the National Conference. Similarly, in Himachal Pradesh, the paper leak took place in the Himachal Pradesh School Examination Board; Congress rules there. Similarly, in Jharkhand, Hindi and Science papers were leaked in JAC, where the government is of the Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha...," he said.

"I'd like to ask the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi -- why are you so selective? Why haven't you discussed the UPA and UPA-supported governments? This clearly shows that your objective isn't the welfare of students. Your objective is not to improve education, improve the quality of education, and ensure justice for students...You want to gain political mileage from students' issues and demands. You want to make political gains, which is unfortunate," he added.

Also read: "152 Paper Leaks In 10 Years, Zero Convictions": Rahul Gandhi Targets Government

JP Nadda Offers Opposition Parliament Discussion On NEET

JP Nadda also reiterated the government's offer to hold a discussion in Parliament over the NEET issue.

"We should move beyond blame and counter-allegations and discuss this. The best medium for discussion is Parliament, and we are ready for that discussion. Let there be a thorough discussion, delving into the details through in-depth discussion. What are the factors leading to the paper leak? Who are the people involved, and how has the Central Government responded? How have we addressed this issue when a paper leak has come to our attention, and how should other governments address it? What is the point we should deeply consider and find a solution to so that injustice is not done to our students, numbering in the millions?" he said.

"I urge the opposition to fulfil its responsibility, and we should all work together to address this issue and move forward toward a lasting solution," he added.

A day after clashes at Delhi's Jantar Mantar during the Cockroach Janta Party's protest against NEET leaks, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders held a sit-in protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's house on Tuesday. The politicians were detained after they rejected the government's overtures and insisted on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Also read: After Dharna And Detention, Rahul Gandhi's Five Demands To The Centre

Rahul Gandhi's Five Demands

While in detention, Gandhi put forth a list of five demands before the government, which included the resignations of Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against police personnel who assaulted students on Monday, withdrawal of cases against students, an apology from the Prime Minister for the crackdown, a discussion on the issue in Parliament and education reforms.

The Congress leader on Wednesday stepped up his attack, saying the education system in the country has been "rigged" under the current regime.

"Students are demanding Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. It is a legitimate demand. Pradhan is a corrupt and incompetent man. He must be removed," he added.

"152 leaks in 10 years translate to an average of 1 leak every month. These leaks have affected crores of our students. Yet there has been no conviction in the cases related to paper leaks in the last 10 years," he added.

The Delhi High Court, hearing petitions alleging police brutality against students, has issued notices to the Delhi Police and the Centre and asked for relevant records, including CCTV and other footage, to be preserved.