'Were You Called Terrorists?': Rahul Gandhi Meets Class 12 Student Vedant Amid CBSE's OSM Row
'Were You Called Terrorists?': Rahul Gandhi Meets Class 12 Student Vedant Amid CBSE's OSM Row Published By, Last Updated: May 31, 2026, 16:31 IST Rahul
'Were You Called Terrorists?': Rahul Gandhi Meets Class 12 Student Vedant Amid CBSE's OSM Row Published By, Last Updated: May 31, 2026, 16:31 IST Rahul Gandhi and several students, including Vedant, spoke about the criticism they faced after raising concerns about the OSM system. Rapid Read Rahul Gandhi interacting with Class 12 students. (Congress/X) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met Class 12 student Vedant Srivastava, whose post went viral after he received the wrong answer sheet from CBSE as part of its controversial on-screen marking (OSM) system. Rahul Gandhi and several students, including Vedant, spoke about the criticism they faced after raising concerns about the OSM system used to evaluate Class 12 board exams, saying they were labelled “anti-national" and “deep state agents." They also laughed about being labelled ‘Soros agents’, a reference to Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist George Soros, who is frequently targeted by conservative groups for his funding of left-wing and liberal causes. “Vedant and his friends are brilliant, brave young Indians who asked CBSE and the Modi government simple questions – but got insults instead of answers. They deserve a bright and secure future.
We will make sure they get it," Rahul Gandhi said on X. A revealing chat with my fellow “anti-national Soros agents."Vedant and his friends are brilliant, brave young Indians who asked CBSE and the Modi government simple questions – but got insults instead of answers. They deserve a bright and secure future. We will make sure they… pic.twitter.com/5InBxgJv1B — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 31, 2026 ’17-Year-Old Deep State Agents’ During the interaction with students, one of them said that they were called “anti-national" and “Pakistani" in the wake of the CBSE row, to which Gandhi sarcastically commented, “17-year-old deep state agents. Show the faces of these ‘terrorists’." Vedant told Gandhi that his Physics paper went well but he did not receive good marks. “We had an option to apply for the photocopy if your marks are less. When I opened my photocopy, I found that the handwriting was different. It was not my sheet," he said. Vedant’s brother said after public uproar over CBSE’s mistake, they were accused of being “deep state agents trying to create unrest in India" as part of an attempt to keep them silent.
“You are students. You have nothing to do with anything. You are just asking for an answer sheet. That’s all. Now, suddenly, you have become anti-nationals. You have to accept the problem if you want to solve the problem," Rahul Gandhi said in the 90-second video. “They are refusing to accept the problem and blaming the poor kids, saying you are deep state, you are spies. Did they also call you terrorists?" he asked. What Is Vedant’s Case? As CBSE’s OSM system triggered widespread criticism, Vedant Srivastava’s X post went viral after he alleged that the answer sheets uploaded under his roll number did not match his handwriting. In posts shared on X, Vedant uploaded side-by-side comparisons of his handwriting and the Physics answer sheet provided under his roll number. He further compared the Physics sheet with his English and Computer Science answer scripts, as well as his handwritten notes, claiming the English and Computer Science papers matched each other, while the Physics answer sheet appeared to belong to someone else entirely. ALSO READ: After Vedant, More CBSE 12th Students Claim They Received Wrong Answer Sheets While many students and parents backed Vedant, demanding transparency from the board, the student also faced immense mental harassment from trolls, who labelled him “anti-national." A TV anchor’s post calling him “Pakistani" attracted strong criticism, though he later apologised.
By Monday evening, the board reached out directly to the family to rectify the monumental error. CBSE Joint Secretary (Coordination) acknowledged the answer sheet mismatch and said his marks would be revised soon. A senior CBSE official also confirmed that the correct Physics answer sheet had been emailed to him. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: May 31, 2026, 16:16 IST News india 'Were You Called Terrorists?': Rahul Gandhi Meets Class 12 Student Vedant Amid CBSE's OSM Row Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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