The political fight over NEET and education issues intensified on Wednesday after BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his planned ‘Echo of Students’ rally in Kota, Rajasthan.Speaking at a press conference in Delhi, Trivedi questioned the timing of the event, which comes just days before the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.“The NEET exam is scheduled to be held again in three days… While the government appears to be acting sensitively, the Congress Party and the LoP Rahul Gandhi appear to be employing cunning rather than sensitivity. I want to ask them: in the last 72 hours before the exam, when any candidate should be preparing for the final stage with complete concentration, why are you trying to mentally torture students by organising such events… There will be many opportunities for politics, it can be done even after the 21st… You want to create destruction just in order to fulfil your political ambition,” Trivedi said.The party further accused Rahul of projecting his personal frustrations onto NEET aspirants and urged him not to discourage students who are preparing for one of India’s most important medical entrance examinations.“We accept that you were unsuccessful during your student life. Wherever you worked, including at a British company, you were unsuccessful there as well. Even as a political leader, you have not been successful. So, I feel that the frustration and sense of jealousy you carry regarding your own career should not be taken out on students who are preparing with complete dedication and focus to achieve success,” Trivedi said.A day earlier, Rahul Gandhi had called on students and young people across the country to participate in the “Echo of Students” mega rally in Kota on June 17. In a post on X, he said the future of the country depends on the future of its youth.Gandhi accused the government of failing young Indians and linked paper leaks, exam mismanagement, cancelled recruitment drives, rising fees, privatisation and scams to what he described as a growing crisis affecting students.“My young and Gen Z comrades, one thing is clear in my mind, and you too should etch it in your heart: securing the future of every youth in India is the government’s responsibility. But responsibility and honesty–both are beyond the Modi government’s way of thinking,” he wrote.On Wednesday, Rahul hit out at the government’s Telegram ban, saying, “instead of catching the thief, just hang a lock on the victim’s door. Millions of students have been studying on Telegram for years – notes, test series, discussions, preparation. How does snatching that facility become the solution to paper leaks?” he asked.
