LIVE: LS discusses anti-paper leak Bill; CJP warns of fresh protest

Priyanka Gandhi stands by remark on Pralhad Joshi

A heated exchange erupted in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after Congress MP KC Venugopal accused the Chair of applying different standards to remarks made by Treasury and Opposition members during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill.

Venugopal said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had earlier made objectionable remarks about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and alleged that those remarks continued to remain part of the parliamentary record.

Dubey responded by calling Jawaharlal Nehru an "ayyash" (debauch) and asserted that he would authenticate his statement, triggering protests from both the Treasury and Opposition benches.

Amid the uproar, Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi said action should be taken against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi if she failed to substantiate the remarks she had made about him.

Priyanka maintained that she was prepared to authenticate her statement by citing a news report by a respected journalist. Speaker Om Birla, however, asked her not to do so. She then said Joshi should disown the statement attributed to him in the news reports if he disputed it.

Speaker Om Birla warns against unverified allegations in House

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday reminded members that allegations made in the House must be backed by evidence after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi made remarks about Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill.

Birla said members "should not make statements that can't be substantiated."

Responding to the objections raised by Treasury bench members, Priyanka Gandhi named Joshi and said she would authenticate the comments she had attributed to him regarding the release of those convicted in the Bilkis Bano rape case.

Joshi, joined by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, insisted that Priyanka Gandhi either immediately substantiate her allegation or withdraw it. They also demanded that she apologise if she was unable to back up her claim.

Rijiju demands Priyanka Gandhi's remark be expunged

Treasury bench members on Tuesday protested remarks made by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi about Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill.

As the House witnessed loud objections, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Priyanka of making unsubstantiated allegations against the minister.

Calling it "character assassination" of the education minister, Rijiju demanded that Priyanka Gandhi's remarks be expunged from the parliamentary record. He also said that if she could not substantiate her allegation, "she should apologise."

Priyanka Gandhi questions alleged use of pellet guns, AK-47 on student protesters

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi on Tuesday accused the government of responding to peaceful student protests with excessive force, saying those seeking accountability for examination irregularities had instead faced violence.

Participating in the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, Gandhi recalled visiting a student admitted to the ICU at RML Hospital. "That mother told us that big leaders have been coming since morning, including because of whom she is now lying in hospital."

Referring to the incident, Gandhi said, "That mother's words still haunt me. I want to ask the PM and HM, what was the need to attack an innocent girl in that way. What was the need to unleash such brutalities? What was the need to fire pellet guns and AK 47s, what was the need to humiliate our children and our daughters."

She demanded accountability for the police action, asking, "Who is going to answer this? Will the Home Minister explain who issued the orders? Did the PM give the orders? Did the HM give the orders. The whole country is asking these questions."

Questioning the government's approach towards student protests, Gandhi said, "Why are you scared of the youth of this country? Who has given you the right to muzzle the voice of our youth?" She added, "The Constitution is above us all. Destroying it is a sin. The youth want one thing from us - accountability. We owe it to them. We owe them justice."

Describing the demonstrations as peaceful, she said, "The youth were protesting peacefully, truthfully. They were emulating Gandhi." Gandhi alleged that students believed "money, not merit matters in this country today" and were demanding action against those responsible for examination irregularities as well as those who assaulted them.

She also criticised the government's education policies, saying, "Every sector that creates jobs has been weakened by this govt. The exam system has been compromised by this govt. RSS pracharaks have been stuffed into our education system." Referring to public spending, she added, "1.4 lakh crore is our education budget and 16 lakh crore is what this govt has forfeited in loans to corporates. This is your priority?"

Gandhi said the government continued to rely on image management instead of addressing students' concerns. "It is sad that despite so much happening, the PM can't grasp the reality. They still think PR and narrative spins will help them tide over the current challenge." She also criticised the reception accorded to former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament and remarked, "The PM has chosen a new education minister. He chose such a man who welcomed and celebrated the release of those convicted for raping a pregnant woman."

Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde suggests multiple NEET question sets to avoid leak

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Tuesday urged the education ministry to consider overhauling the question paper system for NEET-UG and other competitive examinations to reduce the risk of paper leaks.

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, Shinde suggested creating a much larger question bank and preparing multiple sets of question papers for examinations as a safeguard against leaks.

Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde says Pradhan quit on moral grounds

Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) MP Shrikant Shinde on Tuesday rejected the Opposition's claim that former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned under political pressure over the examination paper leak controversy.

Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, Shinde said Pradhan's resignation was voluntary and not the result of Opposition demands.

"Dharmendra Pradhan ji resigned out of his own will, taking moral responsibility of what happened. It was not because of you," Shinde said, triggering protests from Opposition members.

Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde backs Bill to curb paper leaks

Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde on Tuesday began his speech in the Lok Sabha by paying tribute to NEET-UG aspirants who died by suicide after the May 3 examination was cancelled following a paper leak.

Backing the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, Shinde said examination leaks devastate not only students but also their families. "When a paper leak happens, not only does the aspirant's ambitions fail, the dreams of his family also shatter. I thank Prime Minister Modi for tabling this legislation," he said as quoted by India Today.

Pramod Tiwari questions alleged police excess on students

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Tuesday said the debate should focus not only on the alleged examination paper leaks but also on the reported use of force against protesting students.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Tiwari questioned whether such measures had ever been employed under previous Congress governments, asking if AK-47s and bullets had ever been used during their tenure. He also alleged that 152 paper leak cases were reported during Dharmendra Pradhan's tenure as Union education minister.

TDP MP seeks rumour penalty in Exam Reform Bill

Speaking in support of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Telugu Desam Party MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu urged the government to strengthen the proposed law by introducing a provision for stringent punishment against those who spread rumours during protests. He said such a clause should be incorporated when the legislation is revised in the future.

Congress' Raja Warring slams Punjab govt over paper leaks

Punjab Congress chief and MP Raja Warring on Tuesday accused the Bhagwant Mann government of failing to stop repeated examination paper leaks, alleging that six such incidents had occurred under its watch and put the future of more than five lakh students at risk.

Speaking during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Warring questioned who was behind the alleged paper leak network and demanded accountability for those responsible.

He also criticised the Punjab government's handling of a protest by sanitation workers in Barnala, alleging that police resorted to a lathi-charge against the demonstrators.