Congress Fields Rahul Gandhi for Paper Leak Debate, Questions Police Action on Protesters

The Congress party is set to put forward several of its senior leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal, and Gaurav Gogoi, during the Lok Sabha debate on The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The discussion on the proposed anti-paper leak legislation is expected to begin at 2 PM on Tuesday.

While the Opposition has expressed support for stronger laws to prevent examination fraud and paper leaks, it has made clear that it expects the government to address concerns over the recent police action against students protesting across the country. According to sources from the INDIA bloc, the Opposition is not opposed to the Bill itself but wants the Centre to explain the reported use of pellet guns and what it describes as excessive force against student demonstrators before moving ahead with the debate.

The comments suggest that the Opposition is willing to participate in discussions on the legislation, provided the government responds to allegations regarding the treatment of protesters and ensures accountability. The debate comes after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla allotted dedicated time for discussion on the Bill, which seeks to tighten legal measures against examination-related malpractices and paper leaks.

Earlier in the day, senior leaders from various INDIA bloc parties met in the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge at Parliament House. The meeting focused on coordinating a common strategy for proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Parliament has witnessed repeated disruptions during the session, with Opposition parties continuing to demand a discussion on the police response to student protests held in different parts of the country.

On Monday, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh introduced the amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha amid noisy protests by Opposition MPs. Demonstrators raised concerns over police action against students, with particular attention given to allegations surrounding the use of AK-47 rifles during protests in Bihar.

The proposed legislation was brought forward in the aftermath of the nationwide controversy over the NEET-UG paper leak and the subsequent resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Bill seeks to impose stricter penalties on those involved in examination fraud by increasing the minimum prison sentence from three years to five years, with the maximum punishment rising from five years to ten years.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari criticised the government, arguing that it should first explain what he described as the "brutality" faced by protesting students before expecting smooth parliamentary proceedings. Questioning the government's timing, Tiwari asked why stronger anti-paper leak measures had not been introduced earlier despite years in office. He also accused the Centre of using excessive force against young protesters and urged it to respond to Rahul Gandhi's letter on the issue before expecting the Opposition to move on.