'Who ordered pellet guns on students?': Priyanka Gandhi presses Centre during anti-paper leak Bill debate

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on July 28 said the entire nation and parents of injured students want answers on who approved the use of pellet guns and AK-47s on protesters during the agitation against exam irregularities.

Participating in the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi called for accountability of those in government.

“The students are disillusioned. Money is overshadowing merit. They want the system that is endangering their future to be improved,” she said.

The students only demanded accountability and removal of those who were responsible for irregularities, but they were met with the use of force, she said, referring to the alleged NEET paper leak.

“The examination system has itself failed. Over 750 crore students have been hit by 152 paper leaks in the last decade but not a single mafia was punished,” said Priyanka Gandhi, alleging that the government has weakened the sectors that have potential to generate jobs.

To restore the faith of the youth in the decayed system, drastic steps need to be taken, and efforts like PR and narrative change will fail, she said, expressing concern over the ‘rousing welcome’ given to the former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Parliament premises within days of his resignation.

She earlier narrated the anger and frustration of the mother of a girl who was injured in police action during the students’ protests.

Priyanka Gandhi said the woman refused to seek anybody’s help and pledged to fight a lonely battle.

The Congress leader questioned the government about the purpose behind the use of force against students.

“Are students terrorists? What was the need to use pellet guns and AK-47 against them? The Congress and the entire nation want to know who gave the order to use these guns against students,” she said.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the country’s youth had demonstrated their ability to make the government respond to public demands, saying the recent student movement over examination irregularities compelled the Centre to concede several demands.

“Except for the headline, no changes have been made to the story by Education Post staff.”