New Delhi: Congress has lined up its top leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and Gaurav Gogoi, to spearhead
the party's attack during the Lok Sabha debate on The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 on Tuesday, according to INDIA bloc sources. The Lok Sabha is expected to begin the four-hour discussion on the anti-paper leak Bill at 2 pm. The NDA has also drawn up its speakers' list for the debate, with BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj and Tejasvi Surya among the key faces. Other alliance speakers are expected to include JDU's Alok Kumar Suman, TDP's Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde, NCP's Sunil Tatkare, Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel, LJP (Ram Vilas)'s Arun Bharti, along with NCPI leaders Sharmila Sarkar and Mitali Bagh. While indicating its willingness to participate in the debate, the Opposition has made it clear that it expects the Centre to address concerns over the alleged police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak. "We are neither against the paper leak bill nor discussion on it; we fully support any move to strengthen exams, but we need an answer on pellet guns and excessive use of force against protesting students," an INDIA bloc source said. The Opposition has maintained that while it supports tougher measures to curb paper leaks and examination malpractice, the government must also answer questions over the recent police action against protesting students. The debate comes after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla allocated dedicated time for discussion on the proposed legislation aimed at strengthening the legal framework against examination malpractices. Ahead of the debate, floor leaders of INDIA bloc parties met in the office of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament to chalk out a joint strategy for the day's proceedings in both Houses. The Monsoon Session has witnessed repeated disruptions as Opposition parties continue to demand a discussion on the alleged police action against student protesters. Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday amid sloganeering by Opposition members. The Bill seeks to strengthen the legal framework against paper leaks and examination malpractices. Introduced after the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak and the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, it proposes increasing the minimum jail term for those using unfair means in public examinations from three years to five years, with the maximum punishment enhanced from five years to ten years. The legislation was introduced amid Opposition protests over the alleged police action against demonstrators across the country. The alleged use of AK-47s against protesters in Bihar also figured prominently during the protests in Parliament.
