The Congress leader asked who had authorised the use of tear gas, lathi-charge, pellet guns and other force against student protestors
NEW DELHI — Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government on Tuesday, accusing it of failing millions of students by allowing repeated examination paper leaks and responding to peaceful protests with force instead of accountability.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Wayanad MP said the proposed legislation does little to address the root causes of recurring leaks or restore confidence in the examination system. Students across the country are demanding justice, not sympathy, she said, and questioned why the government had failed to act against those responsible.
Much of her speech focused on the recent student protests. Recalling her visit to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the national capital, she said she had met the family of a student who remains in intensive care after allegedly being injured in a police lathi-charge.
Sharing the mother’s words with the House, she said the woman had initially refused to meet political leaders, saying those responsible for her daughter’s condition had already visited only to record videos. Describing the interaction as deeply moving, Mrs Vadra questioned the need for such force against students exercising their democratic right to protest.
Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah through the Chair, the Congress leader asked who had authorised the use of tear gas, lathi-charge, pellet guns and other force against the demonstrators.
“Were the students terrorists?” she asked, arguing that they were demanding fair examinations, not creating unrest. She alleged that several women students were mistreated during the police action and said suppressing peaceful protests amounted to an attack on constitutional freedoms.
Turning to the education system, she accused the Centre of weakening public education while centralising examinations under the National Testing Agency (NTA). She claimed that educational institutions were increasingly subject to ideological appointments and that government investment in education had failed to keep pace with students’ needs.
She also highlighted the financial burden on families, saying parents are forced to spend heavily on tuition and coaching despite shrinking employment opportunities after graduation.
On examination irregularities, Gandhi Vadra claimed that more than 150 paper leaks over the past decade had affected nearly 7.5 crore students. She alleged that despite the anti-paper leak law enacted in 2024, there had been no convictions and questioned the government’s commitment to enforcing it.
According to her, the protesting students have consistently demanded strict action against paper leak networks, reforms to the examination system, accountability from those responsible for irregularities, action against officials accused of police excesses, and protection of their constitutional rights.
She also referred to the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that he had stepped down under “shameful circumstances” but continued to receive political support.
Gandhi Vadra criticised the appointment of Union Education Minister Prahlad Joshi, saying it sent the wrong message at a time when students were demanding accountability. Referring to an incident in Karnataka, she alleged that a person accused of assaulting women at a pub in Mangaluru had been inducted into the BJP by Joshi, and said the move reflected “his attitude towards women.”
She further alleged that Joshi had publicly welcomed individuals linked to controversies, including those convicted in the Bilkis Bano gang-rape case.
“The Prime Minister allocated the portfolio to a person who had defended the release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. What message does that send to India’s girls?” she asked.
In one of the most talked-about moments of her speech, Gandhi Vadra took a swipe at Prime Minister Modi, saying what needed to change was “the angle of his heart, not the angle of the camera,” drawing loud reactions from across the House.
Concluding her address, she said the Opposition would continue to stand with students and defend the Constitution, insisting that young people deserve a fair examination system and equal opportunities rather than empty assurances.
