SP chief Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at BJP in the Lok Sabha and said that the ‘Prime Minister’ was saved by removing a ‘Pradhan’. He cornered the government on the NEET-UG paper leak and said that the minister had to resign due to pressure from students.
New Delhi [भारत]July 28 (ANI): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Center during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, saying that by removing a “head” the government effectively saved the “Prime Minister”. This was an apparent reference to the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak issue.
‘Saved the Prime Minister by removing a chief’
Speaking during the discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Yadav said the resignation reflected the pressure created by students protesting against alleged irregularities in public examinations. Yadav said, “When the minister (former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan) reached Parliament, he was welcomed outside the House. Imagine what a huge relief the members must have felt and what a huge crisis they were saved from. By removing a ‘Pradhan’, you effectively saved the ‘Prime Minister’.”
Yadav also supported the student movement at Jantar Mantar and praised the “determination, courage and willpower” of the youth, saying that their determination forced the government to give up its “arrogance”, engage in dialogue and accept their demands.
He further alleged that the ruling party has heaved a sigh of relief that Pradhan’s resignation has “saved the Prime Minister”. He said, “The government thought that it was invincible, but the youth proved that ‘the world bows down’. The government bowed down and got the minister to resign.”
Questions raised on bill to stop exam leaks
The SP chief also attacked BJP over its promises, saying, “BJP does not make promises; it gives statements. What started as a joke has become so serious.”
Speaking on the amendment bill during the monsoon session of Parliament, Yadav questioned the government’s ability to stop exam paper leaks. The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill seeks to further strengthen the provisions of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, including speedy investigation, speedy trials through special fast track courts, appointment of special public prosecutors, time-bound disposal of appeals and more stringent penal provisions to effectively prevent unfair means and organized malpractices in public examinations. He said, “Those who could not stop theft of offerings, how will they stop paper leaks? They have just made an amendment in the existing law. Who are you trying to deceive? If the law was effective, then how were 20 exams leaked during the ten years of BJP’s tenure?”
Heated debate with Kiren Rijiju on ‘Emergency’
His remarks led to a heated exchange with Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, who questioned whether Yadav would prefer imposing emergency rather than the government’s response to the student movement. Rijiju said, “Which situation is better, where the government listens to the student protests and brings a bill in Parliament, or the one where the government imposes a nationwide emergency to crush the protests?”
Responding to Rijiju, Yadav said, “I did not witness the Emergency firsthand, but we have seen echoes of what happened then, right here in the national capital. The issue is not of law; your intentions are not clear. The moment your intentions become clear, the examination process will also become clear.”
Earlier in the day, Akhilesh Yadav, along with other Samajwadi Party MPs, protested against the BJP alleging that more than 20 exam papers have been leaked during the party’s tenure at the Centre.
Congress also surrounded the government
Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi also questioned the government’s handling of the 2024 National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) paper leak, and said 44 of the 45 accused chargesheeted in the case have got bail.
Initiating the discussion on the bill on behalf of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi said, “Now, I want to place before the House the current status of the investigation into the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak. So that the country can understand how serious this government is about the massive corruption that happened in the NEET exam two years ago. With great regret, I would like to point out that an article published in 2026 states that chargesheets have been filed in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case. Out of 45 people, 44 have already got bail. This is the seriousness of this government.” (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)