Opposition Demands Education Minister's Resignation Over NEET Paper Leaks

A political deadlock has paralyzed the Indian Parliament as the INDIA bloc opposition demands the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP KC Venugopal, argue that the government's decision to conduct re-examinations constitutes a tacit admission that leaks occurred. They have refused to engage in parliamentary discussions until Pradhan's resignation is accepted.

Government ministers have countered these demands by accusing the opposition of intentionally disrupting proceedings to avoid a factual debate. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that the opposition is politicizing a sensitive issue and prefers agitation over solutions. She highlighted that the government has already arrested perpetrators and established fast-track courts to punish those responsible for the leaks. Union Health Minister JP Nadda further urged the opposition to move beyond blame and utilize Parliament as the proper medium for discussion.

The tension escalated into physical confrontations on July 23 at Makar Dwar, where security personnel formed a human chain to separate NDA and INDIA bloc MPs during simultaneous protests. While Union Minister Jitendra Singh noted that the government has sent four formal proposals for dialogue with student representatives, the legislative stalemate led to the adjournment of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.