Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his protest on the NEET issue, accusing him and the Congress of using students as “political
tools” to disrupt the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
In a post on X, Pradhan said that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had chosen protest over parliamentary debate despite the government’s willingness to discuss the matter. He also accused the party of staging a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, saying it inconvenienced the public and ignored established security protocols.
‘Congress chose political spectacle over debate’
In his post, Pradhan said Rahul Gandhi and the Congress had continued to “shamelessly exploit students as political tools” to create disruption during the Monsoon Session.
He claimed that the protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence caused inconvenience to members of the public and disregarded security arrangements in place.
The minister further said the government had already conveyed its readiness for a comprehensive discussion on the issue, but the Congress had instead opted for what he described as “political spectacle over democratic debate”.
According to Pradhan, the Opposition’s objective was not to find solutions for students but to create disruption for “political headlines”.
‘Protest is not about students’
Pradhan also questioned Rahul Gandhi’s intentions behind the protest, saying the issue was not about students but about creating confrontation.
“For Rahul Gandhi, this is not about students. This is about manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened,” he said in the post.
The Union minister maintained that the Centre remained fully prepared to discuss the NEET issue in Parliament and address concerns raised by students.
“Our Government remains 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our youth on the floor of the House,” he said.
Pradhan said students should not be treated as “props in a political campaign” and deserved certainty instead of uncertainty.
“The students of India deserve far better than being treated as props in a political campaign. They deserve certainty over chaos, solutions over slogans and responsibility over disruption,” he wrote.
He added that the government believed students deserved more than expressions of outrage and reiterated its commitment to addressing their concerns.
“We owe our students more than outrage. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. That is exactly what our government remains committed to delivering,” Pradhan said.
The minister’s remarks came in response to Rahul Gandhi’s protest on Tuesday over the NEET issue, with the government and the Congress trading charges over the handling of the matter and the conduct of the protest.
