The Opposition on Thursday hit back at the BJP after Union Health Minister and BJP president J P Nadda accused Congress and its allies of presiding over multiple examination paper leaks, with National
Conference leaders alleging that he had misrepresented facts on the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (SSB) recruitment paper leak to target the Congress-NC alliance.
What Nadda Said On J&K SSB Paper Leak
The sharp exchange came a day after Nadda, addressing a press conference, questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for highlighting only paper leaks under the BJP-led Centre while ignoring similar incidents in states governed by the Congress and its allies.
Citing a series of alleged paper leaks across the country, Nadda claimed the Jammu and Kashmir SSB paper leak took place when the Congress and the National Conference were in power.
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“If I talk about the paper leak in the Service Selection Board examination in Jammu and Kashmir where the government is of Congress and NC of National Conference. I’d like to ask the LoP Rahul Gandhi, why are you so selective? Why haven’t you discussed the UPA and UPA-supported governments? Why have you distanced yourself from them?” the minister said.
‘Got Dates Wrong’: Omar To Nadda
Responding to the claim, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Nadda had cited the wrong timeline.
“You are absolutely correct about the SSB paper leak in J&K @JPNaddaji but you have got the date wrong. It was 2022. The government wasn’t of NC & Congress,” Abdullah wrote on X.
You are absolutely correct about the SSB paper leak in J&K @JPNadda ji but you have got the date wrong. It was 2022. The government wasn’t of NC & Congress. It was a government headed by Lt. Governor but thank you for reminding everyone of this failure. It involved these… https://t.co/E8WHAJ0qCD pic.twitter.com/PsdaiJ2Uzx
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 23, 2026
“It was a government headed by Lt. Governor but thank you for reminding everyone of this failure. It involved these observations & orders of the J&K High Court. We have no idea what happened to the High Level Committee or its report. Perhaps you can share that with us in your next press conference,” he added.
National Conference leader Tanvir Sadiq also accused the BJP of distorting facts, saying the recruitment paper leak occurred under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration when there was no elected government in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is astonishing that the BJP’s Minister @JPNadda Sb would make a claim so divorced from the facts,” Sadiq said.
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He added, “The J&K recruitment paper leak happened in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration which means directly under you, when there was no elected government. The present government assumed office only in October 2024. If Nadda sb cannot distinguish between the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and an elected government, he has no business lecturing anyone. If he does know the facts, then this is a deliberate attempt to deceive the people of the country.”
Congress Calls BJP’s Remarks ‘What-Aboutery’
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also targeted Nadda’s remarks, calling the BJP’s response an exercise in “what-aboutery” and accusing the Centre of failing to reform the National Testing Agency (NTA) despite repeated examination irregularities.
“The whole press conference was an unending series of ‘what-aboutery’,” Ramesh said, alleging that the NTA had witnessed multiple paper leak incidents since its inception and accusing the government of failing to implement reforms recommended by the K Radhakrishnan Committee after the 2024 controversy.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal also took a swipe at the BJP, saying people had expected Nadda to announce Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
“The government and their TV channels created such an atmosphere around Nadda Sahib’s PC. People were expecting that they would announce Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. But they didn’t say anything. This means Modi Ji is taking the youth lightly,” Kejriwal posted on X.
Open To Discussion On Paper Leak: Govt
Earlier on Wednesday, Nadda had accused Rahul Gandhi of selectively raising the issue of paper leaks while ignoring similar incidents in Congress- and opposition-ruled states.
He urged the Opposition to allow an “intensive” discussion on the issue in Parliament to find a “permanent solution” instead of indulging in a blame game, and said the government remained open to discussions with protesting students and representatives of the CJP.
Why Are Protests Happening In Delhi?
The protests were triggered by allegations of irregularities in the examination and recruitment systems, with students demanding greater accountability and reforms in the education sector. Protesters are also seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak row.
The agitation escalated after Delhi Police stopped the Opposition-backed ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, resulting in clashes, injuries, detentions and multiple FIRs.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for 26 days, was also removed from Jantar Mantar and shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by the Delhi Police amid the agitation. He was later moved to Medanta, following the Supreme Court’s orders.
