Priyanka Gandhi Slams Centre Over Paper Leaks, Tells Speaker To Smile Amid Uproar

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday launched a fierce offensive against the Central government during a debate on the Public Examination Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, while addressing the house, she raised serious concerns regarding the integrity of the national education system and the recurring instances of paper leaks that have plagued the country. Priyanka Gandhi specifically highlighted the recent NEET paper leak and the subsequent crackdown on protesting students in Delhi, questioning the government's approach to handling the grievances of the youth.

Systemic Failure and Centralization Allegations

During her speech, Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the government has hollowed out the education system by filling positions with RSS pracharaks. She argued that the forced implementation of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the centralization of the examination system have only complicated matters further. According to her, the share of the education budget in the country's total budget is actually decreasing every year instead of increasing, which she cited as a sign of the government's misplaced priorities. She claimed that the examination and education systems have completely failed, leading to a total breakdown of trust among students.

The Scale of Paper Leaks

Targeting the government's track record over the last decade, Priyanka Gandhi claimed that there have been 152 instances of paper leaks in the past 10 years. She emphasized that these leaks have adversely affected crores of students across the nation. Despite the massive scale of this problem, she alleged that not a single member of the paper leak mafia has been punished so far. She criticized the government for failing to take effective action against those responsible for compromising the future of the country's youth.

Questions on Force Used Against Students

Referring to the anti-paper leak protests held in Delhi on July 20, Priyanka Gandhi questioned the use of tear gas and pellet guns by security forces against the students. She asked the house why there was a need to use pellet guns and AK-47s against the youth of the country. She posed sharp questions to the government, asking if the students were terrorists and who authorized the use of such force. She demanded to know if the order came from the Prime Minister or the Home Minister, stating that the entire country is seeking answers on this matter.

Uproar Over Comments on Education Minister

The session witnessed a massive uproar when Priyanka Gandhi criticized the appointment of Prahlad Joshi as the new Education Minister. She alleged that the Prime Minister chose an individual who had expressed happiness and agreement over the release of convicts in a case involving the rape of a pregnant woman. These remarks drew strong objections from the treasury benches. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused her of making derogatory statements and character assassination, demanding that the remarks be expunged from the records and that she apologize to the house.

Interaction with the Speaker and Advice to the PM

" When she resumed her speech, she criticized the Public Examination Amendment Bill for lacking concrete measures to stop paper leaks. She suggested that the Prime Minister might need to change his advisors as they're disconnected from reality. She mentioned that the Radhakrishnan Committee was formed to improve the system, but its recommendations have not been implemented. She also pointed out the poor record of fast-track courts and noted that CBI lawyers failed to appear during a recent hearing. In a final jab, she told the Prime Minister that to win back the trust of Gen Z, he needs to change the "angle of his heart" rather than just the camera angles in his videos.