Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and opposition parties to debate the NEET paper leak controversy in Parliament, saying concerns related to students should be addressed through democratic institutions rather than street protests. His remarks came amid growing political tensions over allegations of irregularities in the medical entrance examination process.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis said that if the Opposition was genuinely concerned about students’ futures, it should participate in a parliamentary discussion and seek answers from the government. He accused opposition parties of using student protests for political purposes and urged them to present solutions through formal debates.

Fadnavis said meaningful action on the issue could only come through dialogue and accountability. He highlighted steps taken by the central government, including the establishment of fast-track courts to deal with those involved in examination paper leaks. He also said the NEET re-examination process was completed smoothly and claimed that students were satisfied with the arrangements.

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The Maharashtra Chief Minister also criticised the Congress party’s record on examination-related controversies, alleging that paper leaks had occurred in states governed by the party. He said the Opposition should also address such incidents instead of only targeting the central government over the NEET controversy.

Fadnavis further responded to the planned protest march by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on July 26 in Mumbai, raising allegations related to the previous Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) scam in Maharashtra. He claimed irregularities during the earlier administration were not addressed properly and said his government acted against wrongdoing when it detected issues in examination processes.

The political debate has intensified following protests by students and opposition parties over the NEET controversy. Congress leaders have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while Parliament proceedings have witnessed disruptions as parties continue to press their demands for accountability and investigation into alleged examination irregularities.

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