There was rigging at two levels in NEET exam: AAP’s Pathak

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched widespread protests across 24 states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged rigging in the NEET exam.

AAP’s National General Secretary (Organisation) and Rajya Sabha MP, Dr. Sandeep Pathak, condemned the scandal, calling it a severe breach of trust impacting the future of millions of students.

Sandeep Pathak highlighted the extent of the alleged rigging, which affected 24 lakh students. He accused the National Testing Agency (NTA) of leaking exam papers and unfairly awarding grace marks. “There was rigging at two levels in the NEET exam,” Pathak stated. “On one hand, the paper was leaked and sold for Rs 50-Rs 70 lakhs, and on the other hand, grace marks were wrongly given.”

Citing specific irregularities, Pathak mentioned that 67 students achieved Rank 1 in the NEET exam, with six of them from the same examination centre in Jhajjar, Haryana. He questioned the improbability of this occurrence and the justification provided by the NTA. “When the exam started 25 minutes late, 1,563 students were given grace marks up to 140 out of 720. This happened for the first time in the history of the country,” he added.

Pathak further criticised the BJP’s track record with exam integrity, referencing 70 paper leaks in BJP-ruled states over the past seven years. “In the last seven years, 70 papers have been leaked in BJP-ruled states, spoiling the future of more than 1.5 crore children,” he said. He urged the Supreme Court to investigate the NEET scam, asserting that it was orchestrated by a significant interstate gang.

Addressing the media, Pathak said, “If rigging and corruption start happening in important exams like NEET, then no one will be able to become a good doctor in the country.” He stressed the need for accountability, stating, “Prime Minister, you should answer, apologize to the country, suspend your education minister immediately, or he should resign on his own.”

AAP’s protests saw participation across the country, with demonstrations at prominent locations such as Nicco Park Square in Odisha, Ambedkar Chowk in Raipur, Freedom Park in Karnataka, and Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu. The party vowed to continue its fight for justice, insisting that the NEET exam be cancelled and conducted again to ensure fairness for all students.