Apologise to youth, resign for failures: Rahul on Pradhan's 'terrorist' remark

Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday repeated his demand for the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, accusing him of branding students as "terrorists" instead of taking responsibility for repeated failures in the education system.

As the political row intensified, the Congress announced a 40-day nationwide outreach campaign, 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', aimed at engaging students and youth on issues of education, employment and opportunities. The party also held simultaneous press conferences in 28 cities, including Jaipur, Kota and Sikar in Rajasthan, to press for Pradhan's resignation.

The campaign will begin on 30 June with pamphlet distribution, street meetings and student outreach. It will be conducted in phases, including campus interactions and dialogues with students and youth, culminating in demonstrations at district collectorates on 1 August and a 'Delhi Chalo' march on 9 August.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar alleged that repeated examination paper leaks had severely undermined the credibility of the country's education system. "The issue of exam integrity must be addressed seriously. Students' futures should not be put at risk, and there is a need for greater accountability in such matters," Tanwar said.

NSUI (National Students' Union of India) national president Vinod Jakhar said the campaign would seek direct feedback from students across the country. "We will directly engage with students and youth to understand their concerns and suggestions regarding the education system. Their voices will be compiled and forwarded to top leadership," Jakhar said, adding that the party had also issued a missed-call number to collect suggestions on education sector reforms.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi hit out at Pradhan over his alleged description of protesting students as "terrorists", saying the minister should apologise to crores of young people and resign over his "failures".

The Lok Sabha LoP said the BJP's politics was to label anyone who questioned the government as a traitor. "Intoxicated by the arrogance of power, the Modi government has reached a point where the education minister labels students demanding their rights, fair examinations, and a secure future as 'terrorists'," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.

"Just think about it: the person whose failures led to so many paper leaks, under whose watch 20 students lost their lives, and who plunged the futures of crores of young people into darkness — is today branding the aggrieved students and those raising their voices for them as 'terrorists'," he said.

Drawing parallels with previous protests, Gandhi said the BJP had branded farmers as "andolanjeevi" and "parasites", and those questioning the government as "anti-nationals".

"Labelling anyone who questions the government as a traitor — that is their politics," he said. "Dharmendra Pradhan ji, apologise immediately to the crores of young people in this country and resign for your failures."

Reiterating his remarks made during a recent interaction with students in Kota, Gandhi said the country's education system had become "an extortion racket".

"As for me — attack me all you want. I said it in Kota, and I say it again: today, this education system has merely become an extortion racket. I will not let it remain this way. I will never stop raising the demand that every child receives affordable, quality education and fair examinations," he said.

The controversy stems from remarks allegedly made by Pradhan during a confrontation with members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who have been protesting over the NEET paper leak and student suicides linked to examination-related stress.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who shared a video clip of the exchange on X, alleged that the education minister had described the group as a "B team of terrorists".

"Imagine what Pradhan said. While we are demanding justice for students who died by suicide, he said CJP is a B team of terrorists. The education minister is calling the youth of this country terrorists," Dipke said.

With PTI inputs