Question Modi on NEET, then I'll answer you: Priyanka Gandhi to media

Congress MP and general-secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday lashed out at the media over its coverage of the NEET paper leak controversy, accusing journalists of asking only those questions that suited the government and refusing to answer reporters until they questioned the Centre over the issue.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament House complex, Priyanka said the media should first ask the government whether education minister Dharmendra Pradhan would resign, why Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not come to Parliament while students were protesting, and why Union home minister Amit Shah had allegedly ordered police action against demonstrators.

"From now on, I will only answer those questions that are necessary. All of you ask only those questions that the government wants you to ask," she said.

She also questioned the police action against students, asking, "Why are children in hospital? For what reason... are these students terrorists?" She said she would answer reporters' questions only after the media posed these questions to the government.

Escalating her attack on the Centre, Priyanka held Modi personally responsible for the handling of the paper leak controversy and the protests that followed.

Referring to Modi's remarks highlighting the country's achievements, she said the prime minister readily accepted credit for every success, from space missions to sporting accomplishments, but should now also accept responsibility for the failures surrounding repeated examination paper leaks.

"He takes credit for going to Mars, he takes credit for every achievement which is the achievement of our youth and the achievement of our people. He takes credit, doesn't he? So now is the time for him to take responsibility for his actions," she said.

Priyanka alleged that students protesting against the paper leak had been teargassed and lathi-charged, and criticised reported internet shutdowns in parts of central Delhi, asking whether such actions were compatible with a democracy.

"Students are not terrorists. Their parents would be worried... they cannot contact anyone. They are spraying teargas on them, they are beating them. What kind of democracy is this," she said.

Claiming that over 150 examination papers had leaked under the Modi government without any convictions, she said the prime minister was responsible for the growing despair among young people. "If something happens to even one of them it is his responsibility," she said.

The Congress leader also accused the government of failing to run Parliament, pointing to the repeated disruptions during the ongoing session. "Have you ever seen in the history of our democracy that MPs from the ruling side are standing outside and protesting?... He is weak and a coward," she said, referring to the prime minister.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka said students had lost faith in the system and urged the government to listen to their grievances.

Her remarks came shortly after Modi said in a post on X that nothing was more important than the welfare and future of the country's youth. The prime minister announced that the government had decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure "swift and stringent punishment" for those involved in paper leaks and had directed authorities to take all necessary steps to safeguard students' interests. "Those who try to harm the future of our youth will not be spared," Modi said.

With PTI inputs