KPCC President BK Hariprasad slammed the BJP for 'manufacturing outrage' over a NEET candidate's delay. He cited a police fact-check which refuted BJP claims that a Congress rally was responsible, demanding an apology for the 'politics of lies'.
Congress Slams BJP's 'Manufactured Outrage' After Police Fact-Check
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President BK Hariprasad on Tuesday attacked the BJP, accusing the opposition of "manufacturing outrage" and spreading misinformation following the recent NEET-UG re-examination in Bengaluru. The controversy, which saw several candidates arrive late at an examination centre, had been aggressively pinned by BJP leaders on a mega Congress convention held at the Palace Grounds. However, a formal "fact-check" by the Bengaluru Traffic Police, based on extensive CCTV analysis and route mapping, has categorically refuted these claims.
In a sharp rebuke of the BJP's tactics, Hariprasad labelled the incident a cynical political ploy on X. "The BJP's politics of lies and manufactured outrage has once again been exposed," he stated, highlighting that the opposition party chose to exploit a student's stressful situation for political mileage rather than verify the facts. "It is unfortunate that BJP leaders chose to exploit a student's situation & spread misinformation for political mileage rather than stand by the truth. Such attempts to malign the Karnataka Government have failed miserably in the face of evidence. Truth cannot be buried under propaganda. Those who blamed the govt should apologise now."
The KPCC President lauded the Bengaluru Police for their professional and transparent investigation. "I commend the Bengaluru Police and Traffic Police for their professional efforts in tracing the candidate's route, verifying the facts through CCTV footage, and bringing the truth before the public," he added, noting that the evidence-based findings have reinforced public trust in the state's administrative systems.
Police Investigation Reveals Candidate's Fault
The investigation by Bengaluru Traffic and City Police conclusively established that the delay faced by the candidate in question was not due to traffic congestion caused by the public event. According to the police findings, CCTV footage confirmed the candidate departed from home only 33 minutes before the mandatory entry cut-off time. Analysis of the commute revealed the candidate chose a significantly longer route, despite the availability of a shorter, more efficient path. The report noted that traffic conditions along the route were generally normal, and police personnel were actively facilitating movement for students throughout the day.
The @BJP4Karnataka politics of lies & manufactured outrage has once again been exposed. After attempting to blame a @INCKarnataka rally for a #NEET candidate’s delay, the facts have revealed a completely different story. CCTV footage, route analysis, & official findings clearly… pic.twitter.com/NLYhDSSyqY — Hariprasad.B.K. (@HariprasadBK2) June 23, 2026
Political Fallout and Counter-Accusations
The political fallout follows a heated weekend where BJP leaders, including Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and State President BY Vijayendra, accused the Congress of prioritising a political show of strength over the academic future of thousands of medical aspirants. The government, led by Home Minister Priyank Kharge, consistently maintained that the allegations were "half-truths," a stance now vindicated by the official police report.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and Karnataka MLC CT Ravi countered the allegations, questioning the timing of political events and holding the state government responsible for the situation. On State Minister Priyank Kharge's allegations on the Centre over the NEET issue, Ravi said, "You knew when the NEET exam was scheduled. Couldn't your state president have scheduled his induction ceremony for a day before or a day after? Why did you jeopardise the students' future? Who is responsible for this? You really ought to reflect on this. You are a very intelligent person; you frequently speak about others. Do not try to cover up your party's own errors."
Earlier, Bengaluru City Police and Traffic Police had issued a fact-check stating that traffic congestion due to a Congress event did not cause the candidate's delay. Police findings indicated that the candidate left late and took a longer route, reaching the exam centre after the reporting time. The fact-check came in response to social media posts alleging that students missed the NEET exam due to traffic snarls caused by the Congress rally at Palace Grounds on Sunday.
BJP National Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi had also criticised the Congress, accusing it of "prioritising politics over the future of students."
Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge had earlier dismissed the allegations, stating that only three students at a designated centre missed the exam due to individual circumstances. He said one student missed a bus in Magadi, another carried an old hall ticket, while a third student from RT Nagar also failed to reach the centre in time.
Nationwide Re-exam Concludes
On Sunday, the high-stakes re-examination for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 concluded across the country and 14 destinations abroad, even as the process remained under the shadow of the paper leak controversy. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)