Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the government is acting "undemocratically" in its handling of student protests regarding the NEET-UG 2026 exam [1].
The criticism comes as the government faces escalating pressure over an alleged paper-leak controversy and the detention of high-profile opposition figures. The clash highlights a deepening divide between the administration and student activists over the integrity of national medical entrance exams.
Gandhi Vadra spoke Wednesday during an all-black protest held outside Parliament and near Lok Kalyan Marg, the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi [1, 4]. The demonstration occurred on the third day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament [4].
She addressed the media regarding the crackdown on students and the detention of opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav [2, 3]. The Congress leader linked the government's response to a broader erosion of civil liberties.
"The government's response to the agitation is undemocratic," Gandhi Vadra said [2]. She said that "peaceful protest and freedom of expression are fundamental democratic rights" [1].
The protests center on the NEET-UG 2026 examinations, where students have alleged widespread irregularities and leaks [2]. Opposition parties have used the all-black attire to symbolize a state of mourning for democratic values, and educational fairness [4].
Gandhi Vadra said the detention of political leaders and students serves as an attempt to stifle dissent rather than addressing the root causes of the exam controversy [1, 3].
“The government is acting "undemocratically" over the handling of the student protests.”
The alignment of student grievances over exam integrity with the political agendas of the Congress party suggests a broadening of the NEET-UG 2026 controversy. By framing the detentions as an attack on democratic rights, opposition leaders are attempting to pivot a localized educational crisis into a national conversation about governance and civil liberties.
