''These Are Not Negotiable Demands,'' Rahul Demands Sacking of Dharmendra Pradhan Over NEET Leak

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday demanded the immediate dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy. The demand comes amid speculation that Pradhan might be transferred to another ministry in an upcoming Cabinet reshuffle.

Rahul called the minister "corrupt and incompetent" and "a symbol of the destruction of the most valuable thing that this country has, which is our students and their future".

Sacking is Non-Negotiable

Rahul said that the protesting youth have a clear and uncompromising set of conditions.

"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..." Rahul said.

The Congress leader firmly rejected any alternative solution involving a portfolio reassignment. Speculation about moving Pradhan to a different department is "not acceptable to the students of India", nor is it acceptable to anybody else, Rahul added.

He emphasised that a transfer is completely off the table.

"...there is going to be no conversation about Dharmendra Pradhan being moved here, moved there, put behind, forward, nothing. Dharmendra Pradhan has to be sacked," Rahul said.

Suppression of Student Protests

Rahul accused the Narendra Modi-led Centre of taking "cruel steps" to stifle the ongoing demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He alleged the administration deliberately shut down essential infrastructure to silence the youth.

Detailing the restrictions on the public, Rahul wrote on X: "Shut down the metro. Shut down the roads. Shut down the shops. Shut down the Internet. Shut down the food."

These remarks follow earlier accusations regarding police action during the July 20 "Sansad Chalo" march. The Cockroach Janta Party led that demonstration over the alleged examination paper leaks—a response from the Centre and the Delhi Police that Rahul said was met with "barbarity".

To support his claims, Rahul shared a video of a student who was allegedly injured by pellets during the crackdown. The government's treatment of the protesting students has surpassed the actions of the British era, he added.