Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met the parents of students who lost their lives following the NEET-UG paper leak and criticised the Centre over the examination controversy. He also shared photographs from the meeting on X, showing him interacting with students and grieving family members.

'Nothing Is More Painful Than Seeing Parents Grieve'

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said there is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing parents mourning the loss of their children.

"Behind every young life lost is a family forced to live with unimaginable pain. It also raises serious questions about a broken education system," he wrote.

He said repeated paper leaks, cancelled examinations and years of hard work being wiped out overnight had shaken students' faith in the system.

अपने बच्चों को खोने वाले माता-पिता के आंसू, उनका बिलखना - इससे बड़ा कोई दुःख नहीं होता।

ये एक ग़म उनके साथ हमेशा जिंदा रहेगा - और साथ ही रह जाते हैं इस टूटी और भ्रष्ट education system के बारे में कई सवाल।

पेपर लीक | रद्द परीक्षाएं | सालों की तैयारी एक पल में बर्बाद - हमारे… https://t.co/vBNOyxJKSu

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 1, 2026

"Our students are asked to work honestly, but the system itself is not honest with them," Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi Targets PM Modi

Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister had spoken about forgiving students but had not met any grieving family or any student whose future had been affected by the paper leak.

"He has not met a single parent who lost a child or a student whose dreams were shattered because of the paper leak. India's students do not need his forgiveness. They deserve an apology from him," Gandhi said.

'Parents' Tears Reflect Failure of Education System'

Rahul Gandhi said the tears and grief of parents who had lost their children represented the deepest tragedy and would remain with them forever.

He added that the crisis had exposed serious flaws in the country's education system, with paper leaks, cancelled examinations and years of preparation being destroyed in an instant.

'Gen Z Cannot Be Silenced'

The Congress leader also criticised the alleged action taken against student protesters.

Addressing Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gandhi said, "You cannot silence Gen Z through fear and intimidation. First, you broke their bones. Now FIRs are being filed against them and their accounts are being blocked. You represent India's past. Be careful about how you treat India's future."

Rahul Gandhi's remarks came amid continuing political attacks over the NEET-UG paper leak and the government's handling of the issue.