'Highlights of Speech of Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MP (Lok Sabha) and General Secretary, AICC, in the Lok Sabha during discussion on ‘The Public Examination (Prevention of unfair means) Amendment Bill, 2026’ on July 28, 2026.

Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra: A few days ago, we visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to inquire about the condition of the Delhi student injured in a police lathi-charge, who is currently fighting the biggest battle of her life in the ICU. The honorable Health Minister, Shri J.P. Nadda, had visited just before us, and other leaders had visited prior to him as well. By the time we arrived, the girl’s mother was angry due to the constant stream of visiting leaders. Listen, one does not make a mockery of someone’s suffering. No matter who it is, one does not mock someone’s pain. You are sitting in Parliament.

Standing outside the ICU doors, she asked us, “What have you come for?” With trembling hands folded before us, she said, “Thank you for coming—that’s fine—but I don’t want to meet anyone. I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

Sir, that mother’s entire body was trembling with anguish. Yet, she spoke in a firm voice: “Since morning, prominent people have been coming here, one after another, making videos. Even the very people who reduced my daughter to this state have come. For what?” She asked us, “For what? My daughter has already been sacrificed, but whatever happens to her now, I will fight for her myself. I do not need anyone’s help; I will fight alone.”

Sir, perhaps I should not be standing here saying this in front of everyone, but that mother’s plea left me deeply ashamed. The sound of her heart breaking—which echoed within the hospital walls—still reverberates in my mind. Therefore, without seeking that mother’s permission, I wish to ask the Honorable Prime Minister and the Honorable Home Minister, through you: what was the need to unleash such oppression upon an innocent girl? What was the need to fire tear gas at those students, to rain lathi blows upon them, and to use water cannons against them? What was the need to humiliate those young women, to tear their clothes, and to have them beaten so brutally and vilely? What was the necessity of using pellet guns and AK-47s against the youth of this country? Were they terrorists? Are they terrorists?

Give an answer! The Congress is speaking out and demanding an answer. Give an answer! Who will answer? Will the Home Minister answer? Who gave the order? To fire pellet guns? Who gave the order?

Through you, Speaker Sir, I ask: who gave the order? Did the Prime Minister give it? Did the Home Minister give it? Will you answer? The entire nation is asking. It is not just the Congress Party; the whole country is asking. Speaker Sir, parents across the nation are asking, students are asking, teachers are asking... the entire country is asking this today, and it is your responsibility to answer this question. Why do you fear the youth of this country? Why do you fear the resounding voice of this nation? And who gave you the right to suppress that voice?

Sir, this House is not the personal fiefdom of the Members of Parliament seated here; it is a sacred trust belonging to the nation. All of us present here are servants of the people of this country—of its youth, the elderly, the poor, the rich, and citizens across all religions and sections of society. We are their representatives, and it is they who have entrusted us with this authority. We hold the Constitution of this country in the highest reverence, and its democracy is paramount. To dismantle it is a sin.

The millions of people demand just one thing from us—accountability. Having entrusted us with power and brought us to this position, their only plea is that whatever we do, we do for their welfare; and should they face injustice, we remain accountable to them and ensure they receive justice.

Recently thousands of children took to the streets. They expressed their pain. They demonstrated peacefully, singing and smiling, keeping non-violence and truth in their hearts, following the path shown by Gandhiji. Under the most sacred principle of democracy, they established the right to raise their voice. These are the children of India who live in villages, who live in metros, who live in small towns and cities... where a mother sells her jewellery, a father mortgages his land, a family spends its entire life’s earnings on the child’s dream. And now, these very children have begun to feel that in today’s India, dishonesty matters more than hard work, and money matters more than merit... when that happens, it is not just a student who loses—hope itself is defeated. These troubled children shared their hopes with you.

What were their demands? That action be taken regarding the repeated injustice inflicted upon them through paper leaks... that the system crushing their future be reformed... that the mafia surrounding them be eliminated... that the minister under whose tenure all this occurred resign... and that action be taken against those who subjected them to brutality, with an apology offered. That was all they demanded, wasn’t it? That the rights to education and freedom of expression granted to them by the Constitution be upheld.

Sir, our education system has been riddled with flaws for quite some time. Hundreds of children have committed suicide due to the immense pressure placed upon them, and an even greater number are sinking into depression. Families face appalling financial burdens—ranging from bribes and capitation fees to tuition and coaching costs—just to educate their children. They are forced to take out loans and sell off assets, yet there is no guarantee that their children’s futures will be secure, as unemployment is at an all-time high. This government has consistently weakened all the sectors that generate employment.

The examination system itself has failed. Over the last decade, 152 papers were leaked and 7.5 crore students were affected, yet not a single culprit—not one member of the ‘mafia’—has been punished. Our education system has been hollowed out by flooding it with RSS ‘pracharaks’. By forcibly establishing the NTA and centralizing the system, they have only made it more convoluted. Instead of increasing, the share of the education budget within the country’s total budget is steadily declining. The total education budget stands at 1.4 lakh crore, whereas 1.32 lakh crore is extracted annually from the families of the 22 lakh students appearing for the NEET exam alone. There is another shameful statistic as well: our total education budget is 1.4 lakh crore, compared to the 16 lakh crore in loans belonging to major industrialists that the current government has waived. Just think—reflect on what this government’s priorities actually are.

The truth is, Speaker Sir, that just as the mother of that student has lost faith in the entire system, the youth of the country have also lost trust in this system. When the country’s future—our youth—become disillusioned and withdraw their trust from the government and the system, the solution to restore that trust cannot be found within the system itself; one must step outside its confines. Concrete efforts must be made afresh.

It is unfortunate, Speaker Sir, that even after all this, the respected Prime Minister and his associates fail to grasp this reality. They still believe that, with the help of PR, narrative manipulation, and a pliant media, they will once again manage to sail through.

The day before yesterday, the Education Minister resigned under shameful circumstances, yet yesterday, right here at the Makar Dwar, MPs from the ruling party welcomed him into Parliament while shouting slogans of “Zindabad,” as if a superstar had arrived.

Consider the irony, Sir: just as the former Education Minister was being feted and welcomed, a family in Maharashtra was mourning the suicide of their daughter—a victim of a paper leak. What message did your government convey to the crores of students across the country? What is it that you take pride in? What are you so arrogant about? What kind of hubris is this? Where there ought to be a sense of shame, we see instead brazenness and the beating of drums to celebrate a welcome. On one hand, there is mourning and grief... yet here, you are garlanding someone! How can anyone place their trust in you?

The Prime Minister appointed a new Education Minister—installing a person in this office who had expressed consent and happiness regarding the release of the rapists of a pregnant woman. What message did the Prime Minister convey to the millions of girls in the country? Sir, it is in the newspapers... Sir, I will provide you with proof—I will send it—of the statements Pralhad Joshi made regarding the release of Bilkis Bano’s rapists.

Today, we are debating an amendment to a bill that was passed in 2024; the key amendment involves increasing the punishment for the crime of paper leaks. However, since the bill was passed, this government has not punished a single offender.

You have observed that for the past couple of days, the names and addresses of the children protesting against the exam irregularities are being made public through face recognition; yet, this same measure has not been taken against the criminals responsible for the paper leaks. Furthermore, this bill contains no concrete steps to prevent paper leaks... How, then, will the trust of the country’s youth be built?

Speaker Sir, through you, I would like to tell the respected Prime Minister that perhaps he ought to change his advisors. He has become completely cut off from reality. Merely setting up new committees will not work, regardless of who heads them... The Radhakrishna Committee, too, was formed to bring about systemic improvements, yet not a single one of its recommendations has been implemented to date; and this new committee includes a former IB chief—yes, a former IB chief—an IT company owner, and even a ‘cow urine’ expert. What do they know about education? Sir, it is true. You are angry with me today; please smile for a moment... Sir, the track record of fast-track courts is already dismal. In fact, the CBI counsel did not even appear for the hearing yesterday. Blaming the opposition in Parliament or playing hollow political games won’t work. If you want to regain the Gen-Z’s trust, simply shooting new videos from different angles on your phone won’t suffice. The Prime Minister needs to change the angle of his heart, not the angle of the camera. This generation is aware and discerning... it possesses an immense capacity to spot a lie. To win their hearts and minds, you must confront the truth. Under your rule, this young generation has suffered grave injustice and brutality... acknowledge this truth. Shirking your responsibility will not do.

Honorable Prime Minister, you must take responsibility... concrete steps need to be taken. Bring together education experts. Formulate a new education system by involving students, teachers, and all stakeholders, and by facilitating in-depth discussions that incorporate diverse perspectives. Under the current National Education Policy, exams drag on for eight months, leaving teachers with no time to actually teach.

Instead of filling the system solely with RSS members, staff it with educated, progressive, and broad-minded individuals—people whose qualifications are not defined merely by their ideology. Take concrete steps to generate employment and focus on this priority. Increase the number of medical colleges and expand medical education so that these young people—who struggle hard yet fail to build a future—can dream of a bright future.

Speaker Sir, students can be removed from the streets, but their questions cannot be silenced. Every baton blow struck against a young man or woman has landed more heavily on the government’s credibility than on the backs of these youths. The country’s youth are demanding justice, not charity. They did not come here to topple the government, but to salvage their trust in it. Speaker Sir, through you, I wish to tell the government: save your credibility, set your intentions right, cure your arrogance, and honor your promises.

Under your rule, we have witnessed massive thefts—the theft of votes during elections, the theft of donations meant for the Ram Mandir, the theft of national assets by your industrialist friends, and the theft of farmers’ land. But the biggest theft occurred then. You may speak about as many thefts as you wish.

The greatest theft occurred when the futures and dreams of the nation’s youth were stolen. The theft of a future or a dream is far more significant than any other kind of theft, Sir. If the country’s youth become despondent and their hopes are shattered, it will be India’s greatest defeat; we in the Congress and the Opposition would sooner lay down our lives than allow India to face such a defeat. Jai Hind!