Pralhad Joshi accuses Rahul Gandhi of spreading misinformation among students, questions 152 leak claims

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Thursday accused Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of spreading misinformation among students and youth for political reasons, asserting that the Narendra Modi-led government remains committed to securing the future of every student in the country.

Addressing the issue, Joshi, in a statement, alleged that Rahul Gandhi has been misleading the younger generation by claiming that "152 question paper leaks took place under the Modi government".

"The Centre does not expect such conduct from the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. It is unfortunate that Rahul Gandhi is spreading false information among students and youth and politicising issues concerning them merely to remain politically relevant," Joshi said.

He maintained that the Union government has acted swiftly whenever incidents of question paper leaks have been reported and has taken decisive measures against those responsible.

"The Narendra Modi government is unconditionally committed to protecting the future of every student in the country. In cases where question paper leaks were detected, action was initiated within days, and all the accused were sent to jail," he said.

Referring to the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), Joshi said the Centre had successfully conducted the re-examination, ensuring a fair and transparent process for lakhs of deserving aspirants.

"The government ensured that millions of hardworking candidates were given an opportunity to compete on merit through a transparent and just examination process," he added.

Joshi further stated that the Union government is prepared for a constructive and fact-based discussion on the matter in Parliament. He noted that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda have already made the government's position clear on the issue.

"Despite this, the Congress continues to indulge in political theatrics outside Parliament," the Union Minister alleged.

Further, Joshi, taking to social media X, stated, "The Modi Government is unconditionally committed to safeguarding the future of every single student in India. Within days of learning that a paper leak had occurred, decisive action was taken and all the accused were put behind bars. Further, the Government successfully conducted the Re-NEET, ensuring that lakhs of hardworking aspirants received a fair and transparent opportunity to compete purely on merit."

"Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh Ji and Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda ji have already made it clear that the Government stands fully prepared for a structured, factual debate on this matter inside Parliament. However, it is deeply unfortunate that the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is peddling misinformation," he said.

"To politicise an issue concerning students merely to remain relevant in the political landscape is deeply unsettling. He claims there were 152 paper leaks under the Narendra Modi Government, but where did he arrive at this number? Such misinformation being spread in the name of the youth is not expected from the Leader of the Opposition," Joshi said.