‘Why didn’t you recall him?’: Rahul Gandhi questions PM Modi, demands removal of Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak | Today’s news
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday reiterated his demand that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan be removed from his post for “repeated failure”. In a post on X, the Congress leader also questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence on the NEET paper leak.
“NEET 2024: Document leaked. Exam not cancelled. Minister not resigned. CBI starts investigation. Committee formed. NEET 2026: Document leaked. Exam cancelled. Minister still not resigned. CBI re-investigates. Another committee will be formed,” Gandhi said in his social media post.
Rahul questions Modi’s silence
The LoP questioned the Prime Minister’s silence and also sought answers as to why “paper leaks are happening repeatedly” and why the Education Minister, who has repeatedly failed, is not removed.
Paper leak NEET
Over the past few days, Gandhi has been attacking Prime Minister Modi and demanding Pradhan’s resignation following the NEET paper leak controversy that resulted in the National Testing Agency (NTA) canceling the exam, which was held on 3
On Saturday, Gandhi demanded that the Prime Minister immediately remove Pradhan or take responsibility himself.
“The whole country knows that two days before NEET, her question paper was distributed on WhatsApp. Dharmendra Pradhan is telling her that he has nothing to do with the matter. The (parliamentary) committee made a recommendation but he trashed it on the pretext that there are opposition people in the committee and it is of no use,” Gandhi said in a video statement.
Nine have been arrested so far
A total of nine people, including Manisha Mandhare, a botany teacher from Pune appointed by the NTA as an exam expert, and PV Kulkarni, a retired chemistry teacher from the city, have been arrested by the CBI in connection with the ongoing nationwide NEET paper leak probe.
A Delhi court on Sunday sent Mandhare to 14-day CBI custody in connection with the NEET UG Exam Paper leak case.
Read also | NEET 2026 paper leak: What we know so far about the CBI probe from the May 3 entrance test
Mandhare allegedly conspired with other co-accused persons, including Manisha Waghmare and Prahlad Vittal Rao Kulkarni, to leak questions and content to students for substantial monetary gain.
The CBI told the court that Waghmare, in connivance with another accused person and “with a public servant associated with the National Testing Agency (NTA)”, received the question and answer papers on April 27.
Read also | Karnataka, TN seeks rollback of state medical entrance exams after NEET paper leak
While granting custody, the court observed that a bigger conspiracy angle is allegedly present in this case and according to the CBI several other accused persons who are active members of this syndicate are yet to be identified and arrested and for this purpose custodial interrogation of the accused is sought for a period of 14 days.
“Considering the facts and circumstances and the nature of the offense and the prayer made in this application, the application is allowed and the accused Manisha Gurunath Mandhare is remanded in police custody for 14 days after medical examination. Let her be produced before the competent court on 30.05.2026,” Special Judge Kujur ordered on May 17.
Following the cancellation of NEET UG 2026, NAT has announced that the re-examination will be held on Sunday, June 21.
