Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh on Thursday launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of examination paper leaks and the ongoing student protests, alleging that the Prime Minister was avoiding parliamentary debate and had come under pressure due to the growing nationwide outrage over the issue.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh claimed that the Prime Minister lacked the courage to participate in a serious debate in Parliament, unlike his predecessors who addressed the House whenever the situation demanded.
“The Prime Minister does not have the courage to stand up in Parliament and participate in a serious debate, as all Prime Ministers before him did whenever the occasion demanded,” Ramesh said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media announcement earlier in the day on setting up fast-track courts for paper leak cases, the Congress leader alleged that the post was an attempt to project concern for students but reflected the government’s defensive position.
“This morning, through a social media post, he tried to create the impression that he is concerned about the issues being raised by students across the country. But in reality, that post shows that he is under pressure and completely rattled,” Ramesh wrote.
Escalating his criticism, the Congress leader accused the government of presiding over a series of alleged irregularities, saying, “Vote theft, seat theft, donation theft, theft of examination papers… the list keeps getting longer.”
The remarks came amid an intensifying political confrontation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and paper leak cases. The Congress has been accusing the Centre of failing to protect the interests of students and suppressing protests over the issue, while demanding accountability from the government.
Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that fast-track courts would be established to ensure the speedy disposal of paper leak cases and said those responsible for jeopardising the future of the country’s youth would face swift and stringent punishment. The government has maintained that it is committed to safeguarding students’ interests through a series of administrative and legal measures to strengthen the integrity of the examination system.
