Political tensions surrounding student welfare and competitive examination paper leaks reached a boiling point in Parliament as ruling alliance leaders launched a scathing counteroffensive against Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale dismissed the opposition's allegations as politically motivated. The leaders questioned the moral standing of the Congress party by highlighting its historical governance record and past incidents of paper leaks under its state administrations.
Slamming Congress Over Emergency Era and Corruption Cases
Addressing reporters near the Parliament complex, MP Anurag Thakur mounted a sharp attack on the Opposition Leader, stating, "Soros's sycophants, relatives of Indira, Rahul Gandhi is the biggest troublemaker." Drawing attention to historical events, Thakur recalled that during the Emergency period under former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, approximately 100,000 students were detained and jailed across the nation, reflecting what he termed as the true historical stance of the Congress party toward youth.
The BJP lawmaker raised serious questions regarding the credibility of opposition figures, asking how politicians currently out on bail in major corruption cases could claim to defend student interests. He further emphasized that with more than 100 paper leak incidents taking place during various Congress state tenures, the opposition's sudden expression of concern for examinees lacks sincerity and substance.
Highlighting Parliamentary Inaction and Rajasthan Paper Leaks
Anurag Thakur further alleged that Rahul Gandhi sought to leverage student demonstrations to further his own political agenda. He claimed this was the primary reason why protesting students were unwilling to invite the Congress leader to their agitation platforms. Turning to legislative proceedings, Thakur shared details of the Lok Sabha session on Tuesday, where a comprehensive 9-hour debate took place regarding the anti-paper leak bill.
According to Thakur, despite nine full hours allocated for deliberation, Congress members failed to deliver even nine words directly addressing the core clauses of the legislation. He remarked that this inaction demonstrated a complete lack of interest in solving student grievances or tackling examination fraud. Thakur stated that the Tuesday debate exposed to Indian youth the identity of those who orchestrated paper leaks and protected mafia networks. To support his argument, he cited Rajasthan's previous Congress government, where 17 paper leak incidents occurred, noting that instead of penalization, the state's then-education minister was promoted to lead the regional party unit by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Defends Pralhad Joshi
Joining the counterattack, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale rejected allegations leveled against Union Minister Pralhad Joshi by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Athawale asserted, "The allegations leveled by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra against Pralhad Joshi are false." He highlighted that Pralhad Joshi has dedicated several decades to Karnataka politics, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the BJP's organizational base in the state while executing central ministerial responsibilities with distinction.
Athawale affirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assigned the stewardship of the Education Ministry to Pralhad Joshi in recognition of his seniority, integrity, and administrative track record. Expressing full confidence in Joshi's leadership, Athawale criticized Rahul Gandhi's habit of making unsubstantiated claims to tarnish senior leaders' reputations. Furthermore, Athawale pointed out an apparent contradiction, observing that while Rahul Gandhi advocates for students in Delhi and demands the withdrawal of legal cases, strict actions were historically taken against student protesters under Congress-aligned governance in Kerala.
