NEET-UG 2026 row: Cong accuses BJP of playing with students' future

Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das slammed the BJP-led Centre over the NEET-UG 2026 cancellation. He alleged widespread corruption, claiming 89 papers were leaked in the last 10 years and accused the govt of complicity in the crime.

Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das attacked the BJP-led Centre over the cancellation of the NEET-UG 2026 examination, alleging widespread corruption and repeated paper leaks under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government. Speaking to ANI, Das claimed that multiple examination papers had been leaked over the past decade and accused the Modi government of failing to take action.

Widespread Corruption Alleged

"In the last 10 years, under the Modi government, 89 papers have been leaked, but no action has been taken. This clearly shows that those in power are complicit in this crime," Das alleged.

The Congress leader further accused the BJP of "playing with the future" of students appearing for competitive examinations. "BJP wants to extract money from everywhere, and they are playing with the future of 22 lakh children," he said.

Impact on Students Highlighted

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks on the issue, Das said students and parents suffer immensely due to such incidents. "Our leader, Rahul Gandhi, has emphasised this issue, saying how difficult it is for children to prepare. Poor parents take huge loans to educate their children. Rahul Gandhi has clearly stated that what happens due to government negligence and organised corruption in the education department is not just a failure, it is a crime -- tampering with the future of the youth," Das said.

Das questioned who would compensate students for the resources and effort invested in preparation for the examination. "Who will pay for the preparation of the candidates?" he asked.

Broader Criticism Against Government

The Odisha Congress chief also criticised the government over rising expenses and said there is "no government support." "The country has become so helpless under the leadership of this Prime Minister. The government itself is increasing spending while urging the public to cut back... just as Tata Power is looting thousands of crores of rupees through smart meters... There is no government support," he alleged.

Das further alleged that the BJP lacked the will to punish criminals and alleged a lack of support for ordinary citizens and farmers. "Those in the Education Department are criminals, and because criminals are in power, the BJP lacks the will to punish them. Whether it's protests against women, gang rapes, or murders, those criminals are not being punished... They forgive loans of big companies that took loans worth lakhs of crores of rupees. They don't spare a single penny for the farmers. They will forgive those criminals, too. In their eyes, all criminals deserve forgiveness," he said.

Centre Cancels Exam, Orders CBI Probe

His remarks came after the Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3, citing concerns over the integrity of the process. The government also announced that the exam will be re-conducted on a later date and has handed the case into alleged paper leak over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a detailed probe.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)