With the row over the NEET paper leak still simmering, Congress has decided to take the fight to the streets. The party has announced the first phase of a nationwide campaign targeting the central government over paper leaks, exam irregularities and unemployment — a drive that will once again be fronted by Rahul Gandhi.
Where and When It Begins
Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said the campaign will be flagged off on June 17 from Kota in Rajasthan. In his statement, he said: ‘Under the guidance of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has announced the first phase of a nationwide campaign against the growing crisis of paper leaks, exam irregularities, unemployment and the continuous betrayal of India’s youth by the government.’
Big Student Conclaves Across Four Cities
According to Venugopal, Rahul Gandhi has emerged as the most trusted and credible voice for the country’s students and youth. To that end, he will host a series of large student conferences bringing together students, youth organisations, teachers and everyone directly hit by exam scams. The series begins in Kota (17 June) and moves on to Allahabad (10 July), Patna (11 July) and Delhi (14 July).
The party says the campaign will spotlight the struggles of millions of young Indians whose futures are repeatedly put at risk by paper leaks, the rising cost of examinations and the government’s failure to guarantee a fair and transparent recruitment and education system.
From the Ground to Social Media
Venugopal said that under the nationwide drive, the party will reach students on a large scale through NSUI, Youth Congress, PCC, DCC and local units across the country, amplifying Rahul Gandhi’s call. The effort will involve physical and digital invitations, campus outreach, conversations at coaching centres, universities, schools and youth hubs, social media campaigns, live screenings and direct dialogue with students.
A Platform Beyond Party Lines
In his statement, the Congress leader said: ‘Keeping in mind Rahul Gandhi’s firm conviction that the hopes of young Indians must not be sacrificed to corruption, incompetence or political apathy, this movement will seek to unite students above political affiliation and provide a platform for affected youth to share their experiences and demand accountability for repeated exam failures and paper leak scams.’
What Congress Is Demanding
He added: ‘This movement will bring to the streets the demands earlier raised by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, including the decentralisation of NEET, scrapping examination fees, strict legal action against those involved in the paper leak racket, and fixing accountability at the highest levels of government, including the resignation of the Union Education Minister.’
By raising these issues repeatedly, Venugopal said, Rahul Gandhi has turned the protection of merit, fairness and equal opportunity for the youth into a matter of national importance. That, he said, is why Congress will press for a comprehensive discussion in Parliament on the crisis facing India’s young people and will advocate legislative measures to safeguard their interests, rights and future.
