Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan during the Rajya Sabha session on Thursday [1].
The demand comes amid a growing controversy surrounding the NEET-UG paper leak, which has sparked widespread student grievances across India. The clash highlights deepening tensions between the opposition and the government over the integrity of the national education system.
Speaking during the Parliament Monsoon Session 2026 [2], Kharge said the government had wrong intentions and oversaw a deteriorating education system. He specifically targeted the handling of the paper-leak issue, alleging that the administration's response was irresponsible [3].
Kharge also addressed comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the controversy. He said the Prime Minister's statement on the NEET issue was "instigative" [3]. The Congress leader suggested that such rhetoric does not address the core crisis facing students and youth in the country.
The Education Minister's role has come under intense scrutiny as the opposition seeks accountability for the security lapses that led to the leaks. Kharge said the current state of affairs represents a crisis in the education system that requires immediate leadership changes [3].
BJP MPs in the Rajya Sabha responded to the allegations during the session, which has been marked by various opposition protests. The proceedings in New Delhi continue to be volatile as the opposition links the NEET row to broader failures in governance [1], [2].
“Kharge demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan”
This confrontation signals that the NEET-UG paper leak has evolved from a technical administrative failure into a significant political liability for the Modi government. By demanding a ministerial resignation, the Congress party is attempting to frame the issue as a systemic collapse of meritocracy, potentially galvanizing a large and volatile youth electorate ahead of future political cycles.
