New Delhi: On Saturday, Congress Rajya Sabha MP and Gujarat Congress President Shaktisinh Gohil alleged that the vice president of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Minority Wing was implicated in the NEET-UG scam along with the chairman of the Jay Jalaram Education Trust, who is said to be closely associated with the BJP.
In a press conference, Gohil based these allegations on an affidavit reportedly submitted by the deputy superintendent of police (DySP) of Godhra in the sessions court.
However, Education Minister of India Dharmendra Pradhan criticised Congress amid the controversy surrounding competitive examinations, including NEET.
He accused Congress of avoiding discussions and creating chaos instead. Pradhan stated that the government is open to discussions and has acknowledged the challenges and shortcomings in the process, as even the President has admitted. His comments followed protests by opposition parties, including Congress, demanding a debate on NEET in Parliament.
Pradhan emphasised that Congress is not interested in resolving students’ issues but rather wants to keep the controversy alive. He noted that similar issues had arisen before 2014, although he did not justify them.
Pradhan highlighted reforms initiated under the leadership of former ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan at the National Testing Agency (NTA) and mentioned that new NEET-PG examination dates would be announced soon. The government has also replaced the NTA director general and established a high-powered committee to recommend reforms, enhance data security, and review NTA operations.
On Friday, Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi to hold a respectful and constructive discussion in Parliament on alleged irregularities in the NEET exam. The NEET-UG was conducted by the NTA on May 5, with around 24 lakh candidates appearing. Allegations of question paper leaks and other irregularities emerged after the results were announced on June 4.
