Union Minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda on Wednesday said the Centre is willing to hold an extensive debate in Parliament on the NEET controversy and examination reforms, while accusing the Opposition of turning a sensitive student issue into a political campaign.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Nadda appealed to political parties to approach the issue constructively instead of seeking electoral advantage. He stressed that the concerns raised by students deserved a serious discussion in Parliament.
“Regarding the students’ demands and the issues they have raised concerning the paper leak, my first appeal is that we should not politicise this matter; seeking political gain from it is inappropriate. This is a serious issue that requires in-depth discussion,” Nadda said.
Reiterating the government’s willingness to deliberate on every aspect of the controversy, he added, “We are open to discussions and the best place for discussions is the Parliament. We are ready for a discussion. We are ready to discuss every aspect of the issue.”
Responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations regarding repeated examination paper leaks, Nadda said the government was prepared to investigate every case placed before it. He maintained that facts would emerge through due process and that the Centre would present the truth after a thorough investigation.
“This is a matter of investigation, and the government, being a responsible government, will investigate and present the truth before the public and the nation,” he said.
Launching a counterattack on the Opposition, Nadda accused Rahul Gandhi of highlighting only cases that suited his political narrative while remaining silent on alleged examination irregularities reported in Opposition-ruled states. He cited incidents from states including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Punjab, Kerala and Karnataka, claiming several of them occurred under Congress or Opposition governments.
“I want to ask Rahul Gandhi why you are so selective. Why have you not discussed Congress and Congress-supported governments? This clearly shows that your objective is not the welfare of students or improving the quality of education. You only want to gain political mileage from students’ issues and demands,” he said.
The senior BJP leader also said the government had no objection to a prolonged debate if the Opposition wanted one, asserting that Parliament was the most appropriate platform to discuss reforms.
“We have always wanted the issue to be discussed in Parliament. Whether it is a short-duration discussion or a long-duration discussion, the Opposition can decide the format. If they want 12 hours, we are ready. If they want 18 hours, we are ready,” Nadda said.
Calling for cooperation across party lines, he said safeguarding the future of students should be a shared responsibility rather than a subject of political confrontation.
“Children belong to all of us. They are the future of the country. It is the responsibility of both the government and the Opposition to work together and find a lasting solution,” he added.
Nadda also confirmed that he had previously met representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), saying the interaction was cordial and that the group had submitted its demands in writing. According to him, the government remained open to dialogue whenever required but clarified that no fresh meeting had taken place on Wednesday.
His remarks came hours after Rahul Gandhi reiterated the Opposition’s demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accountability for police action against protesters and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the handling of the student agitation. Gandhi also alleged that India’s education system had been undermined by repeated paper leaks and accused the government of failing to protect the interests of students.
