He had audacity to forgive?: Rahul Gandhi says PM Modi owes students an apology

Published 1 August 2026 · local

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks forgiving students involved in the NEET paper leak protest at Delhi's

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks forgiving students involved in the NEET paper leak protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, saying the country's youth deserved an apology rather than forgiveness from the Prime Minister. In a post on X, Gandhi said there was "nothing more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child" and accused the government of failing students affected by alleged paper leaks and examination irregularities. Read Full Story "Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them — and serious questions about a broken education system," Gandhi wrote. (Credits: X/Rahul Gandhi) Referring to repeated allegations of examination malpractice, he said leaked question papers, cancelled examinations and years of preparation being rendered meaningless had shattered the aspirations of thousands of students.

"Our students are told to work honestly in a system that is not honest with them. And the Prime Minister has the audacity to speak of 'forgiving' students," Gandhi said. (Credits: X/Rahul Gandhi) Questioning the Prime Minister's response to the crisis, the Leader of the Opposition alleged that Modi had neither met grieving parents nor interacted with students whose futures had allegedly been affected by paper leaks. "He has not met a single grieving parent. He has not sat with a single student whose future was stolen by a leaked paper," Gandhi wrote, adding that "India's students do not need his forgiveness. They are owed his apology." In a parallel post, Gandhi reiterated that families who had lost children and students whose "savings, time, dreams and future" had been destroyed by examination irregularities deserved accountability rather than symbolic gestures.

PM MODI'S APPEAL FOR FORGIVENESS Gandhi's remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi released an Instagram video responding to the controversy surrounding the NEET paper leak protests. In the video, Modi said he wanted to forgive students who allegedly used abusive language against him and his late mother during the protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Calling them "misguided children", he urged society to guide rather than punish them, arguing that mistakes made in youth should become opportunities for learning rather than reasons for lifelong punishment. The Prime Minister appealed to students to learn from their mistakes, pursue their dreams and work towards building the nation, saying India's progress depended on its young people. THE NEET PROTESTS AND THE AFTERMATH The remarks came after a five-week protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged NEET paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations.