NEET row: Students need justice, not forgiveness, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi met families of three deceased NEET aspirants, stating that students need truth, justice, and an apology from the government. He blamed the NEET paper leak and a 'dishonest system' for the tragedy and unbearable pressure on students.

Rahul Gandhi Demands Justice for NEET Aspirants

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that students affected by the NEET paper leak and cancellation of the examination need truth, justice and an apology from the government. Congress leader met the families of Gopika, Roshini and Vetri Anandan, three young medical aspirants who lost their lives following the NEET paper leak and cancellation of the examination.

In a post on Facebook, the Congress leader shared a video and wrote, "During my visit to Tamil Nadu, I met the families of Gopika, Roshini and Vetri Anandan, three young medical aspirants whose lives were lost following the NEET paper leak and the cancellation of the examination. Each family was left with the same painful question: why should honest, hardworking students pay the price for a dishonest system? A leaked paper led to a cancelled examination, a forced NEET re-exam and unbearable pressure on young minds. Behind every statistic is a child with a dream and a family now living with an irreplaceable loss."

He said he listened to the families' pain and asserted that his fight was for an education system where hard work is respected, examinations are fair and students are not pushed to the edge due to institutional failures. "I listened to their pain. Our fight is for an education system where hard work is respected, examinations are fair, and no student is pushed to the edge because institutions failed them. The Prime Minister speaks of "forgiving" students. After listening to these parents, my conviction is even stronger: India's students need no forgiveness. The government owes them truth, justice and an apology," the post read.

PM Modi on 'Forgiving' Protesting Students

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted to forgive the children who used derogatory language against him and his late mother during the protest at Jantar Mantar, saying that "mistakes happen in childhood" and that they should be guided rather than punished, dragged through court proceedings, or subjected to social harassment.

Sharing a video on his Instagram handle, the Prime Minister said the country and the world had witnessed what happened at Jantar Mantar, where "some mischievous children" used derogatory language. In the video, PM Modi said, "Today I just feel like talking to you. The country and the world have witnessed what happened at Jantar Mantar. Some mischievous children used very crude and abusive language, words that do not befit any civilised society. I was personally abused, and even my late mother was subjected to abuse. It was a truly ugly spectacle."

Government Under Fire Over Exam Integrity

The opposition has continuously targeted the government over accountability in handling high-stakes competitive examinations, framing the crisis as a failure of institutional governance.

In a bid to curb examination paper leaks, Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. (ANI)

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