Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 18 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Prakash Reddy on Thursday accused Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders of “politicising” the temporary ban of the Telegram app for the NEET re-examination, asserting that the Centre was taking all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of students.
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the matter, Reddy said the issue should not be turned into a political controversy and stressed that the government was focused on ensuring a fair and transparent examination process.
“I don’t know why he (Rahul Gandhi) wants to politicise it. The Education Minister has already declared that the re-examination will be conducted thoroughly and without any malpractices. The Government of India is taking all measures to protect the interests of the students,” Reddy told ANI.
The BJP leader also targeted other Opposition leaders, alleging that they were attempting to derive political mileage from the issue.
“All Opposition parties and leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, want to politicise it,” he said.
Reddy further claimed that nearly 22 lakh students had suffered because of what he described as media propaganda surrounding the issue.
“Almost 22 lakh students have suffered because of media propaganda. Now, once the issue is coming up, the Government of India is taking all measures to protect the interests of the students, but the Opposition parties are politicising it,” he said.
Defending the government’s action, Reddy argued that temporary restrictions imposed on certain media platforms or outlets should not be viewed as an attack on press freedom.
“Banning any media for two to three days is not media oppression, but only to protect the interests of the students. The irresponsibility of a few media houses should be taken into account, and accordingly, some of them have been restricted from publishing such type of news in the interests of the students,” he added.
Reddy maintained that the Centre’s priority remained ensuring fairness in the examination process and protecting students from misinformation and unnecessary anxiety.
Rahul Gandhi had earlier launched a sharp attack on the Centre over restrictions linked to Telegram in the context of NEET-UG paper leak concerns today, alleging that the government was targeting students instead of addressing the “paper leak mafia”.
The comments by Gandhi were made after the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday restricted access to the Telegram platform in India for a defined and limited period ending 22 June 2026, covering the day of the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination and its immediate aftermath. The government has said that the Telegram app was used by organised cheating rackets to mislead and defraud candidates.
In a post on X, Gandhi said, “‘Telegram Ban’ – Modi Government’s New Trick to Stop Paper Leaks. Meaning, instead of catching the thief, just hang a lock on the victim’s door.” (ANI)
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