Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi govt over NEET aspirant's suicide

Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday reacted to the suicide of a NEET aspirant and launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over the NEET-UG paper leak blunder. Taking to social media, the senior Congress leader referred to the case of Akanksha, a NEET aspirant who recently died by suicide following the exam fiasco. Highlighting the struggles faced by the student and her family, Rahul Gandhi wrote on X, "Akanksha wanted to become a doctor and serve the nation and society. Akanksha's father is a farmer. To fulfill his daughter's dream of becoming a doctor, he took a loan of Rs 3 lakh on a Kisan Credit Card. And he took up a job as a cook in Nagpur, so that his daughter could attend coaching there. A father did everything he could." Rahul Gandhi then blamed the government for what he described as a "corrupt" education system and linked Akanksha's death to the NEET paper leak row. He said, "Then the NEET paper leaked. The exam was canceled. In that uncertainty, Akanksha left us forever. Akanksha's death was not suicide—it's the consequence of a corrupt, broken system under Modi ji." The Congress leader also targeted Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reiterating the opposition's demand for accountability in the wake of the NEET paper leak. "And Dharmendra Pradhan ji? He's still in his chair today. The same committee. The same transfers. The same investigations. No reforms, no justice." Rahul Gandhi further accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of damaging India's education system during his years in office. He said, "Modi ji, power is not permanent—it comes and goes. But the extent to which you've ruined the education system in 12 years, an entire young generation of India is paying the price for it." His remarks come a month after the NEET-UG examination was cancelled following a paper leak. The National Testing Agency (NTA) later announced that the re-examination would be held on June 21. The cancellation affected lakhs of medical aspirants across the country, triggering widespread protests and demands for accountability. Several reports of student suicides have also surfaced in the aftermath of the NTA's NEET failure.