Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused security personnel of using excessive force against students during the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" protest and renewed his demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak issue.

Addressing a press conference at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi presented videos that he said showed police action against students participating in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led march to Parliament. He questioned the use of force against protesters and alleged that students were subjected to unnecessary violence during the demonstration.

Alleges Assault During Protest

Rahul Gandhi claimed that he himself was manhandled during the protest. According to him, police personnel dragged him, punched him multiple times, and the confrontation left him bleeding from the mouth.

He also made a striking allegation, saying that while security personnel were escorting him away, a policeman quietly told him, "Remove this government." Rahul did not provide evidence to support the claim.

Despite the alleged assault, Rahul asserted that the movement would continue and insisted that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan "has to go."

Raises Questions Over Paper Leak

Focusing on examination integrity, Rahul Gandhi alleged that India had witnessed 152 paper leak incidents over the past decade, affecting nearly 7.5 crore students and their families. He claimed that no individual had been convicted in connection with those cases.

The Congress leader argued that repeated examination irregularities had severely undermined students' trust in the country's education system and called for stronger accountability.

Education Spending Comparison

Rahul Gandhi also highlighted what he described as the growing financial burden on students.

He claimed that while the Union government's education budget stands at ₹1.4 lakh crore, Indian families collectively spend around ₹1.32 lakh crore on NEET-related expenses. According to him, the comparison reflects the enormous economic pressure competitive examinations place on households.

Three Key Demands

During the press conference, Rahul Gandhi outlined three demands before the Centre:

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan should resign.
• Action should be taken against those allegedly responsible for using force against student protesters.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to students affected by the alleged paper leak controversy.

Background of the Protest

The controversy stems from the 20 July "Sansad Chalo" march, during which protesters attempted to move from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament. Clashes broke out between demonstrators and police at several locations, prompting security personnel to use force to disperse the crowd.

The incident has triggered political confrontation, with opposition parties accusing the government of suppressing student voices, while the Centre has maintained that law enforcement acted to preserve public order.

The alleged NEET paper leak has emerged as one of the major political issues of the Monsoon Session, with opposition parties repeatedly demanding a discussion in Parliament and the resignation of the Education Minister. The government has defended its handling of the matter and stated that investigations are underway.