Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the Centre on Tuesday after the cancellation of NEET UG 2026, alleging large-scale irregularities and calling it a devastating blow to students’ futures.

Reacting on social media platform X, Gandhi described the development as more than an administrative lapse, stating, “The NEET 2026 exam has been cancelled. The hard work, sacrifices, and dreams of more than 22 lakh students have been crushed by this corrupt BJP regime,” while highlighting the financial and emotional burden on families who prepared for the exam. He added, “Some fathers took loans, some mothers sold their jewellery, lakhs of children stayed up all night studying, and in return, they got paper leaks, government negligence, and organised corruption in education. This is not just a failure—it’s a crime against the future of the youth.”

Escalating his criticism further, he targeted repeated allegations of exam irregularities and alleged protection of those responsible, saying, “Every time, the paper mafia gets away scot-free, while honest students bear the punishment. Now, lakhs of students will once again endure the same mental stress, financial burden, and uncertainty,” and questioned the fairness of the system by adding, “If one’s destiny is determined not by hard work but by money and connections, then what meaning will education hold? The Prime Minister’s so-called Amrit Kaal has turned into a poison era for the country.”

The remarks came shortly after the Centre cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 amid allegations of paper leaks and procedural irregularities. The National Testing Agency (NTA) confirmed that the exam will be re-conducted on dates to be announced separately after inputs from central agencies raised concerns over its integrity.

The agency stated that the decision was taken in coordination with law enforcement authorities, noting, “On the basis of the inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with the central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies and in order to ensure that there is transparency in the system, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately,” while adding that “the present examination process could not be allowed to stand.”