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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday sharpened his attack on the Centre over the handling of the NEET paper leak protests, laying down three key demands before the government and insisting that merely shifting Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry would not resolve the issue.

Addressing the press along with students injured during the protests, the Leader of the Opposition said accountability must extend beyond administrative action, calling for Pradhan's dismissal, punishment for those responsible for the alleged police excesses, and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'Shifting Pradhan Is Not Acceptable'

Condemning speculation that Dharmendra Pradhan could be moved to another portfolio, Rahul Gandhi said such a move would not meet the protesters' demands.

Rahul Gandhi said, as per ANI, "There's some talk going on in Mr. Modi's cabinet that the solution is to move Dharmendra Pradhan from education to some other ministry. This is not acceptable to the students of India. It is not acceptable to anybody. The reason is that Pradhan is a symbol of corruption and of what has happened to the future of India's children. He is a symbol of the destruction of the most valuable thing that this country has, which is our students and their future. And so there is going to be no conversation about Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan being moved here, moved there, put behind, forward, nothing. Dharmendra Pradhan has to be sacked."

Rahul Seeks Accountability For Protest Violence

Standing alongside a group of students who were injured during the protests, Gandhi demanded action against those responsible for the alleged use of force against demonstrators. He said, "The people who have done this, need to be punished and made accountable."

#WATCH | LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, "...Students have three demands, and these are not negotiable demands... The first demand is that the Education Minister, who is corrupt, incompetent, and misaligned, has to be sacked... There's some talk going on in Mr. Modi's cabinet… pic.twitter.com/hKoXOQ4SSz

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2026

The protests, triggered by the alleged NEET paper leak, have witnessed repeated clashes between demonstrators and police, resulting in injuries to both security personnel and protesters.

Calls For PM Modi's Apology

Rahul Gandhi also held Prime Minister Narendra Modi politically responsible for the handling of the protests and called on him to issue a public apology. He said, "The leader of the entire missionary doing this, Narendra Modi has to apologise."

Praising the students for continuing their agitation, Gandhi added, "I am proud of you, every single one of you, who are standing there against those destorying our constitution and attacking our system"