New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday reached out to NEET aspirants upset over the cancellation of the medical entrance examination, urging them to stay strong and continue preparing for the re-exam scheduled on June 21.

In a post on social media platform X, Kejriwal said he was deeply moved by the response to a recent video he had shared on the issue.

“Dear NEET students, I am touched by the number of messages and intensity of your feelings. You trusted me, thank you. Stay strong. Make a resolve — ‘ki doctor ban ke rahenge’. God bless u all,” he wrote.

In a video message, Kejriwal said that more than 50 lakh people had watched his earlier video on the NEET controversy and thousands of students had shared their concerns and emotions with him.

“Many of you shared your inner feelings. You trusted me so much, and for that, I sincerely thank you all,” he said, adding that several students had thanked him and praised him for standing with them during the crisis.

Calling the students “his own children”, Kejriwal said he could understand their pain.

“I have two children myself, and both studied at IIT. If their exams had been cancelled, I would have done the same for them too. All of you are my children,” he added.

Kejriwal also read out messages sent by distressed students.

One aspirant, identified as Abbu Basar, reportedly told the AAP Convener that this was his third drop year.

The student said he had spent Rs 1.5 lakh on coaching in 2024 and had performed well, but the NEET paper leak controversy ruined his efforts. He added that after preparing through self-study this year and celebrating with his family after the exam, he was devastated when the exam was cancelled.

Another student reportedly told Kejriwal that he no longer had the courage to continue.

Responding emotionally, Kejriwal urged students not to lose hope.

“I want to give you a mantra: strengthen your determination. Tell yourself that no matter what happens, you have to become a doctor. Once you make that determination firmly, all the powers of the universe begin helping you,” the AAP Convener said.

Responding to a question by a student: ‘can paper leak be stopped?’, Kejriwal claimed that examination paper leaks can be prevented if governments function honestly.

“The Aam Aadmi Party was in government for 10 years and not a single exam paper leak happened. The Punjab government has been in power for four years and not a single paper leak happened there either,” he said.

Alleging corruption at the top levels of the system, Kejriwal added, “If the people sitting at the top of the system are honest, then exam papers will not leak. But if they are dishonest and corrupt, then paper leaks will definitely happen.”

He also addressed the financial difficulties faced by some aspirants, adding that several students had written to him, saying they did not even have enough money for bus fare to appear in the re-exam.

Kejriwal said that he would speak to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding providing free travel to students in Punjab on the day of the examination.

“Do not lose courage. We are with you. God is with you. You all will become doctors,” he added.

–IANS

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