Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday questioned the appointement of Pralhad Joshi as country’s education minister after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid student-led protests over NEET paper leaks.
“The Prime Minister appointed a new Education Minister, a person who expressed consent and even happiness over the release of those convicted of raping a pregnant woman,” Vadra said speaking during a debate on nea anti-paper leak bill in Lok Sabha.
Objecting to this, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, ” This amounts to character assassination within Parliament, and we do not expect such language…These statements should be expunged from the record. Secondly, such language should not be used…She should apologise to the House,”
Amid objection by other ruling party members, including Joshi and Nishikant Dubey, Priyanka Vadra said she will provide documents to authenticate her comments regarding Joshi’s remaks over the release of those accused in 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case.
In October 2022, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines, Joshi had sparked a row with his comments regarding the premature release of 11 men serving life sentences in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case. Joshi had in conversation with the Indian Express reportedly defended the release of the convicts, saying it was done “as per the legal provision.”
Who ordered lathis, tear gas, water canons, pellet?
Vadra questioned the government’s handling of the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march by student protesters. She referred to a girl who faced violence and “fighting for her life”, admitted in the Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital’s ICU and asked who had authorised the use of lathis and pellet guns against the demonstrators, saying,
“The whole country, not merely Congress is asking-what was the need, and who, the Home Minister or the Prime Minister-allowed the lathis, tear gas, water canons, pellet guns and AK47 to be used on students on July 20?”
Vadra was speaking during debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The Bill was introduced on Monday and will be taken up for debate today. The Bill, tabled by Union Minister Jitendra Singh, seeks to strengthen the anti-paper leak law and increase the punishment for those involved in paper leaks. This comes after a week of repeated disruptions and three days after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as the Union Education Minister following over a month-long protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the NEET paper leak.
Vadra also took a swipe at PM Modi for making Instagram reels after recent row over NEET paper leaks and student protests.
“You can’t win Gen-Z’s trust again by making videos from different angles. PM Modi should change the ‘angle of his heart’ not camera,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Vadra was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s viral, Gen Z-style front-camera Instagram videos that sparked widespread online feedback regarding its camera angles. In the subsequent videos, prime minister Modi was seen speaking with an adjusted and improved the angle.
“If you want to regain the trust of Gen Z, shooting videos from multiple camera angles won’t help,” she said.
Vadra alleged that there had been 152 paper leaks over the past decade, affecting 7.5 crore students. She also questioned the government’s record on accountability, saying that despite the repeated leaks, “not one guilty or paper leak mafia has been punished.”