New Delhi, Jun 16 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp attack on the Modi government on Tuesday, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the ongoing row surrounding the NEET examination and repeated instances of paper leaks across competitive exams.

In a strongly worded statement, Kharge criticised the government for temporarily blocking the messaging app Telegram in connection with the NEET re-examination process. He alleged that instead of addressing the root causes of the crisis, the government was resorting to desperate measures such as deploying the Indian Air Force for question paper transport, blocking digital platforms, and shielding the main culprits behind paper leaks while arresting only minor players.

“Modi ji should first demand the resignation of his Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, who has effectively blocked the futures of crores of young people,” Kharge said through his X handle in a post. He pointed out that over the last decade, as many as 90 paper leaks have occurred, severely impacting around 9 crore youth aspiring for government jobs and higher education.

The Congress chief highlighted the human cost of these scandals, noting that around half a dozen young aspirants have taken their own lives due to the setbacks. He expressed anguish over parents who borrowed heavily to fund years of coaching for exams like NEET, SSC, UGC-NET, and CUET, only to see their children’s dreams shattered by repeated leaks.

Kharge also referred to the recent CBSE results controversy, claiming that even 17-18-year-old students were forced to protest against what he described as a rigged system. He further alleged that even the “credibility of the prestigious UPSC examination has now come under a cloud of suspicion.”

Kharge demanded Pradhan’s resignation as the first test of accountability, accusing the BJP-led government of consistently failing to address systemic corruption in the education and recruitment sector. “The country’s aware youth are making just one demand: the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan,” he asserted, adding that the BJP has failed this crucial test of governance.

–IANS

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