Rahul Gandhi’s swipe at PM Modi over NEET leak triggers BJP counterattack

A political row erupted on Friday after Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ongoing NEET-UG paper leak controversy, prompting a sharp response from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The exchange came after the Supreme Court was informed that the prime minister was personally monitoring issues related to the investigation into the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, which was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak.

During a hearing on Friday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the apex court that the government was closely overseeing the matter. The submission came after the court sought details on the investigation process and the methodology being followed to reach conclusions in the case.

“Honourable Prime Minister is personally supervising,” Mehta told the court, according to reports.

Reacting to the development on social media, Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the government, writing that “PM Modi also personally supervised the NEET paper leak.”

The Congress leader has been a vocal critic of the BJP-led Centre over the examination controversy. In recent weeks, he has repeatedly questioned the government’s handling of the issue and sought accountability from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as well as the prime minister.

The NEET-UG examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3 for admissions to undergraduate medical courses, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations that the question paper had been leaked. The case is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

BJP hits back

The BJP strongly condemned Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, accusing him of misrepresenting the government’s position and politicising a serious issue affecting students.

BJP leader Amit Malviya described the Congress MP’s comments as “preposterous” and “outrageous”.

“It is a stretch beyond reason to suggest that Prime Minister Modi personally supervised the NEET paper leak. This is precisely why Rahul Gandhi struggles to be taken seriously on matters of national importance,” Malviya said in a post on X.

He further accused the Congress leader of prioritising “sensationalism over responsibility” instead of contributing constructively to the debate surrounding the examination scandal.

BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also criticised Gandhi, claiming he had deliberately misinterpreted the government’s statement regarding the prime minister’s oversight of the investigation.

In a social media post, Trivedi said Gandhi had focused on the words “paper leak” while ignoring the context of the “issue” being monitored, accusing him of misquoting the government’s position.

The latest exchange adds to the growing political battle over the NEET-UG controversy, which has triggered widespread concern among students and parents and intensified scrutiny of the country’s examination system.