‘Anti-Paper Leak Bill Is Proof of Your Failure’: Congress Tears Into Modi Govt as Gaurav Gogoi Targets NEET Handling

The political battle over the NEET-UG controversy intensified in Parliament on Tuesday as the Congress launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government over the newly introduced Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026.

Leading the Opposition’s criticism in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi argued that the proposed legislation itself reflects the government’s failure to prevent examination paper leaks despite introducing a similar law in 2024.

‘New Bill proves the old law failed’

Participating in the debate on the amendment bill, Gogoi questioned the effectiveness of the government’s earlier anti-paper leak legislation.

He claimed that while the Centre had promised in 2024 that the law would curb examination leaks, several accused in the NEET-UG 2024 case had reportedly secured bail, raising questions over the law’s implementation.

According to Gogoi, if the 2024 legislation had been effective, the country would not have witnessed fresh examination controversies in 2026. He described the new amendment as an acknowledgment that the previous framework had failed to achieve its objective.

Questions over Sanjeev Mukhiya case

The Congress leader also referred to Sanjeev Kumar alias Sanjeev Mukhiya, who had earlier been described by investigators as a key accused in the NEET-UG 2024 paper leak case.

Gogoi alleged that Mukhiya was arrested months after the controversy emerged and was later granted bail.

Last week, however, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stated that it had not found evidence establishing Mukhiya’s involvement in the NEET-UG 2024 case, although he remains an accused in separate cases being investigated by the Bihar Police.

Government defends stricter legislation

The amendment bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha a day earlier, proposing stricter punishments for those involved in examination malpractices, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to ₹50 lakh for paper leak offences.

Defending the legislation, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the Modi government had taken decisive steps to address examination fraud by bringing a dedicated legal framework in 2024 and was now strengthening it further through fresh amendments.

Demand for Home Minister’s statement

Gogoi also demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah make a statement in Parliament regarding the alleged police action against students protesting over the NEET-UG issue on July 20 in New Delhi.

He questioned the reported use of pellet guns and electric batons during the protests and alleged that police action had compromised the dignity of women demonstrators.

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The Congress MP further criticised the government’s handling of the education sector, calling for greater transparency regarding the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA). He sought details about officials who were reportedly removed or transferred following the examination controversy.

NEET issue continues to dominate Parliament

The NEET-UG controversy has remained one of the central issues during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, with Opposition parties repeatedly demanding accountability over examination irregularities and the government’s response.

Continuous protests by Opposition MPs over the issue had disrupted parliamentary proceedings for several days before legislative business resumed with the introduction of new bills, including the proposed anti-paper leak amendment.

With the Centre pushing for tougher legal provisions and the Opposition questioning the effectiveness of previous measures, the debate over examination reforms is expected to remain at the forefront of Parliament in the coming days.