New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday responded strongly to criticism from Rahul Gandhi regarding the NEET-UG 2026 issue, stating that the government acted promptly against alleged irregularities and remained committed to protecting students’ interests.

The response came after Rahul Gandhi demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan or personally take responsibility for the controversy surrounding the examination.

The row follows the cancellation of the NEET-UG examination held on May 3 after allegations of irregularities emerged.

BJP accuses Congress of politicising issue

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the Congress party of using the issue for political purposes.

In a statement, he said the government acted immediately after reports of irregularities surfaced and announced corrective measures aimed at safeguarding students.

According to BJP leaders, the government cancelled the examination and announced a re-examination scheduled for June 21 without placing additional burdens on students.

The ruling party also argued that the issue was being handled through legal and investigative channels.

Government highlights action taken

BJP leaders stated that the Centre transferred the matter to the investigating agency soon after allegations surfaced.

The party also referred to arrests made in connection with the alleged paper leak network involving multiple locations.

According to BJP leaders, these actions reflected a commitment to addressing irregularities rather than ignoring them.

The government has also announced reforms aimed at strengthening examination processes in the future.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier announced that NEET examinations would move to a computer-based format from next year as part of wider reforms.

Rahul Gandhi questions government accountability

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi criticised the handling of the issue and alleged that the education system had been adversely affected.

He claimed that the efforts of nearly 22 lakh NEET aspirants had suffered because of the controversy.

The Congress leader also questioned the role of authorities in preventing examination irregularities and demanded accountability from the government.

The political exchange comes as the NEET issue continues to remain a major national discussion involving students, parents and educational institutions.