BJP MPs felicitated Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament days after his resignation over the NEET controversy.
Opposition leaders criticised the move and questioned the government's commitment to education reforms.
The Centre introduced amendments to the anti-paper leak law proposing stricter penalties and faster investigations.
Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was welcomed by BJP leaders in Parliament on Monday following his resignation over the NEET controversy, drawing flak from the opposition.
BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned as Union education minister following students' protests over NEET row, was welcomed by some BJP leaders in the Parliament complex on Monday.
Opposition MPs at the same time shouted slogans like 'Chor Chor, Paper Chor' and hit out at the ruling party for felicitating Pradhan with a cap and a stole.
Opposition attacks BJP
Congress leader Pawan Khera said, "These are the same people who even welcomed the rapists in the Bilkis Bano case, so let's leave them aside. Pradhan is an RSS hero because he implemented the RSS agenda through the education ministry. That's why he's their hero. But as far as Pradhan is concerned, people now know his true self has we can see on social media and on roads."
"I see that this government is not serious about reforming the Indian education system. Therefore, they have brought a cosmetic Bill... we already know that a main culprit of a previous scam, was let go by the court. Because sufficient evidence was not gathered, so what use of this fast-track amendment Bill. When this BJP government is hell-bent upon protecting those who are indulging in all this kind of scams," Gogoi said.
Centre introduces anti-paper leak bill
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the constitution of a high-powered task force headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to recommend reforms to make the exam system leakproof. Referring to the police action against student protesters on July 20, Gogoi alleged that the government wanted to "protect" Home Minister Amit Shah and claimed that students in BJP-ruled states were facing FIRs and arrests, creating "a fear of reprisal". He reiterated the opposition's demand that the home minister make a statement in Parliament on the police action.
When reporters asked Pradhan for his reaction to the new anti-paper leak bill and on his resignation, he did not respond.
The government on Monday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the anti-paper leaks law with stricter punishment of up to 10 years in jail and Rs 50 lakh fine, within days of large-scale student protests against the NEET fiasco rocking the nation that forced Pradhan to resign as education minister.
The proposed legislation was introduced by Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh amid protests and sloganeering by the opposition demanding a response from the government over the police crackdown on students during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led July 20 protest march to Parliament.
According to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, investigations into paper leak cases are to be completed within two months.
