Senior Congress MP Digvijaya Singh expressed trust and confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a parliamentary committee meeting on the NEET-UG paper-leak investigation.
The statement marks a rare public endorsement of the Prime Minister by a senior member of the opposition party. This divergence occurs as other Congress leaders continue to criticize the government's handling of the exam breach and demand accountability from the education ministry.
Singh, who serves as the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, spoke during the committee's meeting on May 16, 2026 [4] in New Delhi. He said, "I have trust and confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the system."
Singh's comments aim to reassure stakeholders and students ahead of a scheduled NEET-UG re-test on June 21, 2026 [1]. He said that his confidence in the system is rooted in the belief that no injustice would be done to the students affected by the leak.
However, Singh's position appears to conflict with his own previous statements and the broader party line. On May 15, 2026, Singh said that if the Prime Minister respects parliamentary committees, then he must remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Singh has also highlighted systemic failures in the examination process. He said that ever since the BJP came to power and started online examinations, frauds keep happening. This systemic issue is underscored by reports that 89 papers have been leaked in the last 10 years [2], leading to 48 re-examinations [3].
While Singh praised the Prime Minister's leadership in the probe, the Congress party has maintained a more critical stance. Other party figures, including Rahul Gandhi, have called for the immediate removal of Minister Pradhan to ensure a fair investigation into the breach.
“"I have trust and confidence in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the system."”
The contradiction in Digvijaya Singh's rhetoric suggests a complex balancing act between his role as a parliamentary committee chairperson and his identity as an opposition lawmaker. By praising the Prime Minister while simultaneously calling for a minister's resignation, Singh is attempting to maintain the integrity of the legislative probe without alienating his party's core demand for ministerial accountability.
