Sonia Gandhi's criticism misplaced; several paper leaks took place under Congress rule: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday dismissed Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's criticism of the government's handling of the student protests, and accused the opposition of trying to derive political mileage from the issue.

Gandhi had said that students have demanded accountability and educational reforms, but the Modi government has responded to their courage with "cowardice and wanton cruelty, treating them not as inheritors of the future but as enemies of the nation".

In her article, An Education System's Collapse, Young India's Trauma, published in The Hindu, she accused the government of degrading India's education landscape and asserted that the country's students have called the Modi regime's bluff.


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Reacting to Gandhi's article, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said the Congress lacks the moral authority to criticise it.

"Do you think such an article has any meaning? What moral authority does the Congress have left? What moral authority? The Congress is a shop of lies," he told reporters in Parliament House complex.

He accused the Congress of taking up the students' issue only to derive political mileage.

"The Congress jumped into the agitation only after it saw the public response to the students' protests. It did not launch any movement of its own. It is merely trying to derive political mileage from the issue," he said.

On the proposed legislation to tackle paper leaks, Dubey maintained that the government will introduce a stringent law.

"I had said yesterday that when Parliament functions, a Bill will be brought under which those involved in paper leaks, and even their generations, will tremble.

"The prime minister has made that position absolutely clear. He has been telling us consistently that a separate and very stringent law will be brought. Yesterday, the prime minister himself asked everyone to wait for the Cabinet's decision," he said.

BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi said Gandhi's criticism is misplaced as several paper leaks had taken place when Congress-led governments were in power, but no one had sought or offered resignations.

"Sonia Gandhi is saying that we mishandled the issue, but that is incorrect. If you look at the record since 2004, there were several paper leaks, including PMT, AIEEE, CBSE and other examinations, but no resignations were sought or given when the Manmohan Singh government was in power. They should stop shedding crocodile tears and instead think about how India's future can be shaped through its youth," he said.

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Tripathi said the Centre is taking action at every level to address concerns over the NEET paper leak, asserting the government is committed to restoring students' confidence.

"The prime minister had announced that a Cabinet meeting would be convened. He made several announcements, and you also saw that a secretary was transferred.So, in my view, administrative action is also being taken. Our government is committed in every way to removing the doubts in the minds of students," Tripathi told reporters in Parliament House complex.

He said the government wants a discussion in Parliament so that the ruling party and the opposition can together find ways to address irregularities in NEET and guide the country's youth.

"We have been saying there should be a debate in Parliament so that, in the future, both the ruling party and the opposition can together guide the country's youth and address the irregularities in NEET. But, for some reason, the opposition is trying to derive political mileage from the issue, and I condemn that," he said.