NEET row: Rahul Gandhi doing petty politics, alleges BJP

The BJP on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of indulging in petty politics over alleged irregularities in NEET as it asserted that the Centre is looking into the matter "very sensitively" and justice will be done with every student who appeared for the medical entrance test.

The ruling party also alleged that the Congress is trying to mislead the country by spreading lies on the issue "under a conspiracy" to discredit the government's efforts made to streamline the examination system and also to divert the ''link'' of its ally RJD with the prime accused arrested in connection with the NEET ''paper leak'' case in Bihar.

The BJP's charges came after Gandhi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the alleged irregularities in NEET and cancellation of UGC-NET and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ''psychologically collapsed'' post-elections and will struggle to run a government like this.

Hitting back, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi termed Gandhi's remarks as "sad" and said the Congress leader is playing politics on the issue as he has nothing to do with the future of the students.

"The government is fully sensitive and alert with regard to the NEET exam. It is also committed to ensure that no student faces any injustice and strict action is taken against those involved (in the paper leak)," he told a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

"But the opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, who could not pass even with third division in his third attempt and got just 100 seats (in Lok Sabha polls) is trying to declare himself leader of the bright students," he charged, adding that after Gandhi's press conference it became clear that there is no "seriousness and maturity" in the character of the Congress.

Trivedi asked Gandhi to stop spreading confusion and playing with "the psychology of young students" as his party leaders did during second wave of Covid pandemic by claiming that the Modi government sent children's vaccines abroad even when no such vaccine was made that time in India or in any other country in the world.

"By which psychological parameter is he (Gandhi) able to draw inferences before the decision of the court and conclusion of the investigations by agencies?'' he asked.

The matter is sub-judice before the Supreme Court, he added.

Trivedi also asked Gandhi to stop playing ''petty politics'' on the NEET exam and tell the country what steps are being taken in the Congress-ruled states to fulfil the guarantees that he gave to people during the Lok Sabha polls.

"I want to tell the Congress that the election is over. You didn't succeed in coming to power at the Centre. Now, you fulfil your responsibility in the states where you are in power," he added.

Hitting out at Gandhi, another BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said while paper leaks were regular phenomena during the Congress-led UPA regime, the Modi government brought reforms and streamlined the examination system after 2014.

"And when the system is moving forward in such a manner, Rahul Gandhi comes and indulges in petty politics on such a serious and sensitive issue of education," he charged, adding that Gandhi has ''insulted the youth of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat by calling the two states epicentre of paper leaks".

Poonawalla claimed that the reports coming from Bihar about the ''link'' between alleged "mastermind" of the NEET paper leak and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav shows there was a "big conspiracy".

The entire hue and cry made by the Congress over the issue is a "meticulous design" to divert the public attention from the emerging ''link'' of the RJD leader with the "mastermind" of the NEET ''paper leak'' case and put the blame on the Centre, the BJP leader charged.

"Both brother and sister (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) have taken responsibility to spread lies and create doubt in the minds of people to somehow divert public attention from the RJD's link with irregularities in NEET exam," Poonawalla alleged.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha on Thursday claimed that the arrested prime accused in the NEET ''paper leak'' is ''linked'' to officials associated with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and demanded an investigation into it.

The RJD, however, dismissed the allegation as a ''bundle of lies'' meant to divert attention from the demand to cancel the May 5 exam.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)