New Delhi [India], July 28 : Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday said that opposition leaders indulged in politics during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill and alleged that they had not spoken about the legislation.
He also slammed remarks of Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
"If she had spoken on the Bill, she would have realised its importance. Since they are not speaking about the Bill at all, what answer can we possibly give? There ought to be some benefit to Parliament running this late into the night. Debates held at such hours should be meaningful, involving constructive suggestions and even criticism. However, one should also offer solutions and ideas," Rijiju told reporters.
"If there are any shortcomings in the Bill, point them out. Yet, no one acknowledged the excellent provisions included in this Bill for the benefit of students. We are keeping Parliament running late into the night, but they are ignoring the Bill and engaging in politics outside it. This implies that the Opposition parties have been doing nothing but playing politics all along," he added.
Priyanka Gandhi's remarks against new Education Minister Pralhad Joshi sparked a sharp exchange in the Lok Sabha, with the treasury benches accusing her of spreading misinformation and making personal allegations.
"Parliament resumed today after a long gap and is continuing late into the night. I am pleased that we are sitting together at this hour to discuss the future of our students and address serious issues like examination paper leaks, malpractices that occur in various states by introducing a strong law to curb them. I am saddened by the speeches delivered by the leaders of the Congress and other Opposition parties," the Minister said.
"Not a single one of them spoke about the Bill itself, even though such an important piece of legislation is under discussion. They were merely engaging in politics, all of them. This is not right. When a Bill is being discussed, one should speak about its provisions and merits. It would have been beneficial if they had debated the processes and stringent laws introduced to prevent examination irregularities," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore hit out at the Centre for appointing Joshi in place of Dharmendra Pradhan, citing the new Education Minister's links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
"Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's only qualification, according to him, is that he comes from an RSS background. He has the support of the RSS, and the RSS wants to control the education system...It is very clear that the background of Mr Pralhad Joshi, at this sensitive time of transition from an Education Minister who was forced by the country to resign, has come under scrutiny. Pradhan had to step down, and the position should have gone to a person with an impeccable track record," Tagore said,
The Lok Sabha took up the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, for discussion in the backdrop of widespread protests against NEET-UG paper leak. The Bill aims to bring in stringent punishments and swift probe into examination-related offences.
Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, who tabled the Bill, affirmed the government's commitment to the welfare of students and described the Amendment Bill, 2026 as a "milestone legislation." However, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi and INDIA bloc MPs attacked the government over police action against protestors.