New Delhi: Hours after the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 over alleged paper leak concerns, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Centre, accusing the BJP-led government of protecting officials linked to exam controversies rather than failing to fix the system.In a post on X on Tuesday, Gandhi directly addressed students and young aspirants, asking them to look at the current posting of the former NTA chief who headed the agency during the NEET-UG 2024 controversy. His remarks came amid mounting political pressure following the government’s decision to scrap the May 3 exam and order fresh exams for nearly 2.4 lakh candidates.‘Google it yourself’: Rahul Gandhi’s message to studentsRahul Gandhi wrote on X, “I want to bring a serious matter to the attention of the youth of the country.“Do one thing — Google it yourself: ‘Who was the DG of NTA during the horrific NEET 2024 scam, and where has the Modi government placed him today?'”The Congress leader then linked the latest NEET-UG 2026 controversy to the earlier NEET-UG 2024 row, and alleged that the government rewards rather than punishes those involved in exam irregularities.“See that? Take it now?” he wrote.“BJP rewards those who play with the future of millions of hardworking students like you – it protects them, and moreover, promotes them to higher positions.”Stepping up his attack, Gandhi alleged that the government itself was complicit in harming the future of the students.He said that it is clear that Modi ji and BJP are complicit in stealing your future.“The only rule of the market where your hard work and dreams are being auctioned is this: the bigger the steal, the bigger the reward.”NEET-UG 2026 canceled following leak allegationsEarlier on Tuesday, the National Testing Agency announced that the NEET-UG 2026, which was held on May 3, would be canceled and re-conducted following information received from central agencies and law enforcement officials about alleged question paper leaks and circulation of exam materials ahead of the exam.The NTA said the material available did not allow the current examination process to continue “without compromising the standards of fairness and public trust that govern national examinations.”The government has also decided to hand over the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a comprehensive investigation.The controversy came after investigations in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and other states that allegedly pointed to the circulation of question papers ahead of the exam. Investigators are probing allegations that some parts of these circulated materials are very similar to the original NEET-UG 2026 paper.The NEET controversy became the latest political flashpoint.The cancellation of the country’s largest undergraduate medical entrance exam has sparked widespread outrage among students and parents, while opposition parties have criticized the government and the functioning of the NTA.Rahul Gandhi had earlier accused X that NEET had effectively become an “auction”, claiming that test questions were circulated on WhatsApp ahead of the exam and the future of over 2.2 lakh students was compromised.Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also questioned how exam irregularities are continuing despite strict anti-paper leak rules passed by Parliament.Posting of ex-NTA chief draws attention again.Rahul Gandhi’s latest remarks referred to former NTA director general Subodh Kumar Singh, who was removed from the post in June 2024 amid criticism over his handling of the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams.After the mandatory waiting period, Singh was later appointed Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser in the Union Ministry of Steel, before being sent back to his parent Chhattisgarh cadre. He is currently serving as Principal Secretary to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai.The BJP had not officially responded to Rahul Gandhi’s latest allegations at the time of reporting.
