Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (July 24) criticised the Centre over the alleged use of excessive force against protesters demonstrating over the NEET paper leak.
He claimed that several protesters suffered serious injuries, including eye damage, after security personnel allegedly used pellet guns during the demonstrations.
Gandhi made the remarks after meeting injured protesters. He highlighted the case of Sahil, a student who he said suffered a severe eye injury after being hit by a pellet during the protest.
The Congress leader brought the injured protester before the media and challenged the government’s claim that pellet guns were not used against demonstrators.
“The government is saying there is no use of pellet guns, but I can show you a victim here with me,” he said
Gandhi said the protester was peacefully demonstrating when he suffered the injury and expressed concern over whether his eyesight could be saved. He also claimed that thousands of young protesters faced lathi charges and pellet gun attacks during the demonstrations.
“I want to explain that my brother standing here was injured by a pellet gun while he was peacefully protesting. The government has said that no pellet gun was used. His eye has suffered damage, not sure if his vision will be saved. Thousands of such youth were lathi-charged, and pellet guns were used against them. He gave an exam for police recruitment, but the paper was leaked.”
The Delhi Police, however, denied using pellet guns against the protesters.
Gandhi also renewed his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He accused the minister of being responsible for the alleged collapse of the education system and called for his removal.
“Dharmendra Pradhan is a criminal Education Minister. He has to be removed. He is a symbol of the collapse of our education system. He has to go. He is the reason why thousands of people are outside. He has to go,” he said.
He also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to the country’s youth over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
Gandhi’s remarks came shortly after the Centre held talks with representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
Bullet pellets can cause severe injuries by tearing tissue, fracturing bones and damaging vital organs. They can also carry bacteria deep into wounds, increasing the risk of serious infections.