New Delhi, July 22: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a blistering criticism of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi regarding the ongoing NEET-UG controversy on Monday, saying the Congress politician understands the “fundamentals and maths of unfair practices too well”.

In a post on X, Dharmendra Pradhan asserted that the Congress-led UPA government had failed to pass laws to curb malpractices in educational institutions.

“Perhaps Rahul Gandhi comprehends the fundamentals and mathematics of unfair practices all too well. This could explain why the Congress government faltered in implementing bills aimed at curbing malpractices in educational institutions, such as the Prohibition of Unfair Practices Bill of 2010,” he added.

He challenged Rahul Gandhi to clarify why the Congress did not enact laws to eliminate irregularities in competitive exams.

Amid relentless criticism from the Opposition regarding the NEET controversy and inquiries about his resignation, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated in Lok Sabha on Monday that he holds his position “at the mercy of my leader” and emphasised that the government is “jointly accountable”.

In response to Rahul Gandhi, Dharmendra Pradhan asserted in the Lower House that he enjoys the backing of his constituents and does not require validation of his intelligence from Parliament.

“Shouting lies will not make them true. Labelling the country's examination system as trash is incredibly unfortunate coming from the Leader of the Opposition. I strongly denounce this statement,” the minister said.

The Education Minister then made a veiled reference to the past, using a "remote control" jibe often directed at the Manmohan Singh government by the BJP.

"In 2010, three education reform Bills were introduced by their minister Kapil Sibal. One of them aimed to outlaw unfair practices. What hindered their progress? Who exerted pressure resulting in the withdrawal of that Bill? Was it the influence of private medical colleges? And now they're questioning us," he remarked.

Addressing allegations from the Opposition, the minister highlighted that the National Testing Agency (NTA) has administered over 240 exams with more than 5 crore students participating.

"There has been no instance of paper leaks in the past seven years," he emphasised, asserting that the government has been transparent in its actions.

When Congress MP B Manickam Tagore questioned if the minister would consider resigning amid the massive row, Pradhan replied, “I am at the mercy of my leader, whenever accountability comes, the government is collectively answerable to that.”

--IANS

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