Opposition tears into BJP over Maharashtra TET 'paper leak'

Opposition parties, including the Congress and NCP (SP), on Saturday criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government in Maharashtra over the alleged Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper leak and the cancellation of the examination a day before it was scheduled.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the cancellation of the Maharashtra TET was another instance of examination failures. "Another paper leak. Another exam canceled. This time, Maharashtra's TET. The country's education and examination system has been turned into a system of extortion, leaving every youth in the country insecure. This is not just a paper leak, it is the theft of the youth's future," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.

NCP (SP) spokesperson Amol Matele said that if the question papers for teacher recruitment examinations were being leaked, it raised concerns about the security of other competitive examinations. "Earlier, the question papers of CBSE, NEET UG, and several other competitive exams were leaked. This government has broken political parties and poached MPs; now it seems it has become known for leaks and betrayal as well," he alleged.

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke also criticised the BJP-led Maharashtra government over the alleged TET paper leak, saying the incident showed the government was "incapable of conducting any examination in a proper manner."

"The TET paper leak in Maharashtra has once again made it clear that the BJP government is incapable of conducting any examination in a proper manner. Their focus is solely on political maneuvers, centered on splitting parties and buying out MLAs and MPs," Dipke said through a post on X.

"Is there any public exam left in this country that doesn’t end in a paper leak?" he added.

The Maharashtra State Council of Examination (MSCE) has postponed the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (MAHA TET) 2026, which was scheduled for June 28, following a suspected question paper leak reported from Bhiwandi.

The decision came after officials confirmed that some of the material seized during a police raid matched questions from the examination paper.

In an official notice, the council said the examination was to be conducted at 1,028 centres across the state. It said that following irregularities reported during the NEET 2026 examination, several security measures had already been implemented to ensure the fair conduct of the TET.

According to the council, acting on confidential information received early on June 27, Bhiwandi Police raided a location where several individuals were allegedly found in possession of information related to the question paper.

During verification, MSCE officials confirmed that some of the recovered questions matched the June 2026 TET paper. A criminal case has been registered, and the council said the examination was postponed to ensure complete transparency and facilitate a thorough investigation.

Reacting to the development, the Congress criticised the BJP-led Maharashtra government over the alleged paper leak. "Another paper leak. The TET paper has been leaked in Maharashtra. The exam was scheduled for tomorrow, which has now been canceled. Under the BJP government, there is no paper that doesn't get leaked. This government has become the 'Paper Leak Government," Congress said through a post on X.

Meanwhile, Abhijeet Dipke on Friday announced a nationwide campaign demanding the resignation of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and urged students, farmers and civil society groups to join the "Pradhan Go Back" protest at Jantar Mantar on June 28.

Addressing a press conference, Dipke said activist Sonam Wangchuk would also join the campaign and begin an indefinite fast on Sunday.