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INDIA Bloc Demands Minister's Resignation

A high-profile meeting of the INDIA bloc, including 23 political parties, was held on Monday to deliberate on key national issues, including alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations, as well as concerns over electoral integrity. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, in his opening remarks at the meeting held at the Constitution Club, flagged economic, social and foreign policy challenges faced by the country. He also criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

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Kharge said that the INDIA bloc unanimously resolved to seek the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities affecting students who appeared for NEET and CBSE examinations. "It was unanimously agreed to demand the immediate resignation of the Education Minister because he presided over the betrayal of lakhs of youth who appeared for NEET and CBSE examinations," the Congress leader said.

The Congress President detailed the bloc's immediate action plan, focusing on youth, institutional integrity, and a sustained joint opposition front.

Focus on Exam Irregularities and Electoral Integrity

The meeting comes in the backdrop of the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak incident, which triggered widespread outrage among aspirants, parents and student organisations. The Education Ministry witnessed another major blowout as CBSE reported technical failures in its post-result portal and OSM discrepancies in evaluated answer sheets, stirring anger among youth.

Addressing a media briefing after a high-profile meeting of the Opposition alliance, Kharge said the alliance had also reached a consensus to raise concerns over alleged electoral malpractice at the earliest. "It was agreed to send a letter to the Chief Justice of India on SIR, vote loot and stealing elections. The letter is to be delivered to the Chief Justice of India very soon," he said.

Future Strategy and Coordination

The INDIA bloc also outlined its immediate action plan, focusing on youth issues, institutional integrity and strengthening coordination among opposition parties. Kharge said that alliance partners would meet every two months to review the political situation and strategise collectively.

He added that the next formal meeting of INDIA bloc leaders has been scheduled for August 8, with future meetings to be decided accordingly. The alliance is also gearing up for the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament, with plans to hold regular strategy meetings at the office of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) to ensure a coordinated approach inside Parliament. Kharge further urged the Union government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss pressing issues such as unemployment, price rise, farmers' concerns and the broader economic situation.

BJP Hits Back at Opposition

Meanwhile, in response, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sambit Patra targeted the bloc's criticism of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, calling it a "tape recorder" that the opposition plays only after poll defeats. "He said that 'SIR' occurred, and votes were stolen; I don't understand how long they have been playing this same tape recorder. But 'SIR' happened in Tamil Nadu as well; 'SIR' happened in Kerala too. In Tamil Nadu, you quickly went there, formed an alliance with another party, and formed the government. And the DMK there is saying that it's not a vote theft here, the ally itself has been stolen. The ally was stolen there. Since you formed the government in Kerala, you aren't cursing 'SIR.' But because you lost in Bengal, you are crying about 'SIR, SIR.'," Patra said.

Key Leaders in Attendance

The high-level meeting saw the participation of several senior leaders from across the opposition spectrum. The Congress delegation included Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was present through Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav also marked their presence to reinforce the alliance's united front.

Prominent regional leaders such as National Conference's (NC) Omar Abdullah, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Supriya Sule participated in the discussions, contributing to the collective deliberations. The Left parties were represented by D Raja (CPI) and John Brittas (CPI-M).

The meeting also saw the presence of former Congress leader Kapil Sibal and representatives from regional allies such as MDMK and VCK. While the majority of the leadership gathered in person, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren joined the deliberations virtually, ensuring their party's active participation in the strategic discussions.

Absence of Key Allies Sparks Debate

While the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) was not invited to the meeting as it is not a member of the INDIA bloc alliance yet, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was also missing from the meeting.

On the absence of several key regional parties, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde argued, "The AAP party wasn't there, nor were the DMK or the TVK. They fear that if they join the INDIA Alliance, they will lose. AAP lost, TMC lost, DMK lost, and the RJD lost as well. They are gripped by the fear that joining the INDIA Alliance leads to defeat. That is why they are shying away from this meeting."

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain refuted, calling DMK an integral part of the INDIA bloc alliance, adding that the party will eventually get past the post-poll resentment. "DMK has always been part of the INDIA alliance. There might be some slight resentment regarding certain post-poll adjustments, but I believe they will eventually come on board," he told reporters.

Further, speaking on TVK's absence, he noted that the party did not receive an invitation as they are not a part of the INDIA bloc alliance as of now. "Since they are not currently part of the INDIA alliance, they did not receive an invitation; however, once they join the alliance, they will participate in subsequent meetings," he said.

Meeting Outcomes and Resolutions

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said that key issues affecting the public, including unemployment, rising prices, and concerns related to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) exams, were discussed in detail. "Everything went on well. That is why everybody was at the press conference. The next meeting will be in Hyderabad. Our concern is the people's distress. The entire meeting has discussed unemployment, price rise, and NEET-CBSE exam leaks. These are the issues of the people. There is a unanimity on these things. We will fight it out," he said.

MDMK Chief Vaiko termed the high-profile meeting "meaningful, purposeful and successful." Speaking with the media, the MDMK chief noted the five key resolutions made in the meeting and said that the first meeting of the alliance members will most likely take place in the first week of August in Hyderabad. "It was very meaningful, purposeful and successful. It was decided we would file SIR in the Supreme Court, and the Education Minister should submit his resignation, and the government should convene an all-party meeting regarding price rise, unemployment and other atrocities against democracy. We have decided to conduct the meeting of the India alliance parties every two months. The first meeting will take place in Hyderabad in the month of August, probably on the 8th," he said.

After the meeting, Tejashwi Yadav emphasised that the alliance has reached a consensus on five key national issues and remains united in its resolve to advocate for them in the days ahead. The INDIA bloc meeting was held at the Constitution Club of India. The parties witnessed the participation of leaders who gathered to deliberate on the alliance's national strategy and formulate a coordinated response to prevailing political and economic challenges. (ANI)