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Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday backed students protesting in Maharashtra, accusing BJP-led governments of failing to address concerns over paper leaks, stalled recruitment, rising education costs and other issues affecting students.

In a post on X, Gandhi said the protests were not limited to a single examination or recruitment process, but reflected a wider erosion of trust in the system.

He alleged that students were being affected by paper leaks, delayed recruitments, high education costs, poor hostel conditions, food-related concerns and alleged fraud in direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes.

‘Trust Shattered By Entire System’

Rahul Gandhi further alleged that students were being “tormented” by BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, and also accused the government of taking control of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) and damaging its credibility.

He said students' demands for a better future were justified and urged the government to listen to their concerns and act immediately.

“In Maharashtra, thousands of students are on the streets, protesting peacefully - the reason isn't just one exam or recruitment, but a trust that's been shattered by the entire system," the Congress MP wrote on X.

महाराष्ट्र में हजारों छात्र सड़कों पर हैं, शांतिपूर्ण तरीके से आंदोलनरत हैं - इसकी वजह सिर्फ एक परीक्षा या भर्ती नहीं, पूरे सिस्टम से टूट चुका भरोसा है।

चाहे वो केंद्र की हो या राज्य की, BJP सरकार से हर छात्र त्रस्त है। पेपर लीक, रुकी हुई भर्तियां, शिक्षा की असहनीय लागत, हॉस्टल…

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 6, 2026

MPSC Exam Leak Under Probe

Gandhi's comments come amid a Mumbai Police investigation into the alleged leak of the question paper for the MPSC Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Inspector examination.

The Drug Inspector screening examination was held offline on March 22 at six divisional headquarters across Maharashtra, with the result declared on June 12.

Following the completion of interviews, the Commission released a provisional general merit list containing 488 candidates, including 485 eligible and three ineligible candidates.

However, between July 22 and July 26, the Commission received complaints by email from candidates and public representatives alleging malpractice in the March 22 examination.

The complaints alleged that some candidates had received the question paper or questions before the examination, on March 20, and that the material was subsequently circulated through social media or electronic media. 

Arrests In Confidentiality Breach Case 

The investigation has led to several arrests.

On Tuesday, accused Rutuja Patil was taken into custody from Nandurbar by the Crime Branch's Property Cell.

Earlier, on Aug. 26, the Crime Branch arrested six people in connection with the alleged breach of confidentiality surrounding the MPSC Drug Inspector (Group-B) examination.

The case has been registered under the Maharashtra Competitive Examination (Prevention of Malpractices) Act, 2024, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.