Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (July 28) attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as the new Education Minister, accusing him of being a "defender of rapists".&nbsp;The Congress MP questioned the government's decision to appoint Joshi after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi said the BJP could have selected anyone from the Prime Minister's Cabinet but chose Joshi for the key ministry.&nbsp;"Education Minister of India - the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no filthier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister of India today. It's a strange reaction from the PM that there are so many people in his cabinet; he could have chosen any one of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. Quite amazing," he said.&nbsp;Gandhi made the remarks shortly after his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra levelled similar allegations against Joshi in the Lok Sabha during a debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/allegations-of-police-excess-at-cjp-protests-warrant-independent-probe-says-sc-1785240526841">Allegations of police excess at CJP protests warrant independent probe, says SC</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Pralhad Joshi strongly objected to her remarks and demanded an apology. They also called for the statements to be expunged from the parliamentary record.&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi's remarks appeared to refer to alleged comments by Joshi on the premature release of 11 men convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case. The Supreme Court in January 2024 struck down the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to the 11 convicts, who had gangraped Bilkis Bano and murdered members of her family during the 2002 Godhra riots.&nbsp;Priyanka Gandhi's remarks against Joshi triggered a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha. BJP members asked her to authenticate her allegations, following which she said she had an article containing the minister's remarks.&nbsp;Rijiju described Priyanka Gandhi's comments as character assassination inside Parliament and demanded that she apologise to the House.&nbsp;"We do not expect such language...These statements should be expunged from the record. Secondly, such language should not be used...She should apologise to the House".&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday began discussions on the anti-paper leak bill. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the legislation reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting the welfare of students and young people.&nbsp;Speaking on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Minister of State in the PMO said the Modi government completed the long-pending task of introducing a law to prevent examination malpractices in 2024.

The Congress MP questioned the government's decision to appoint Joshi, accusing him of defending rapists after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of protests over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (July 28) attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as the new Education Minister, accusing him of being a "defender of rapists". The Congress MP questioned the government's decision to appoint Joshi after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak. Rahul Gandhi said the BJP could have selected anyone from the Prime Minister's Cabinet but chose Joshi for the key ministry. "Education Minister of India - the BJP puts a man who is a defender of rapists. That is the most filthy type of man. There can be no filthier man than somebody who says that rapists need protection. That is the Education Minister of India today. It's a strange reaction from the PM that there are so many people in his cabinet; he could have chosen any one of them. But he chooses a person who protects rapists. Quite amazing," he said. Gandhi made the remarks shortly after his sister and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra levelled similar allegations against Joshi in the Lok Sabha during a debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill. Also Read: Allegations of police excess at CJP protests warrant independent probe, says SC Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Pralhad Joshi strongly objected to her remarks and demanded an apology. They also called for the statements to be expunged from the parliamentary record. Rahul Gandhi's remarks appeared to refer to alleged comments by Joshi on the premature release of 11 men convicted in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case. The Supreme Court in January 2024 struck down the Gujarat government's decision to grant remission to the 11 convicts, who had gangraped Bilkis Bano and murdered members of her family during the 2002 Godhra riots. Priyanka Gandhi's remarks against Joshi triggered a heated exchange in the Lok Sabha. BJP members asked her to authenticate her allegations, following which she said she had an article containing the minister's remarks. Rijiju described Priyanka Gandhi's comments as character assassination inside Parliament and demanded that she apologise to the House. "We do not expect such language...These statements should be expunged from the record. Secondly, such language should not be used...She should apologise to the House". Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday began discussions on the anti-paper leak bill. Union Minister Jitendra Singh said the legislation reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting the welfare of students and young people. Speaking on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, the Minister of State in the PMO said the Modi government completed the long-pending task of introducing a law to prevent examination malpractices in 2024.

The Congress MP questioned the government's decision to appoint Joshi, accusing him of defending rapists after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of protests over the NEET UG 2026 paper leak.

'Defender of rapists': Rahul Gandhi questions Joshi's appointment as Education Minister

In a major development surrounding the ongoing NEET examination controversy, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced that the Central Government has requested time until Saturday (July 25) afternoon to decide on the key demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Addressing the press following high-level discussions with government representatives, CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka stated that the political outfit remains steadfast in its push for systemic accountability. "The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the government will remove him soon," Ranka noted.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/neet-protest-cjp-refuses-to-back-down-demands-dharmendra-pradhan-s-resignation-wangchuk-ends-fast-1784884354321/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/neet-protest-cjp-refuses-to-back-down-demands-dharmendra-pradhan-s-resignation-wangchuk-ends-fast-1784884354321/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

While the decision on the Union Minister’s removal remains pending, the spokesperson revealed significant breakthroughs regarding other critical demands raised by student groups and protesters. Ranka confirmed that the Centre has expressed "in-principle approval" on two key concessions: financial compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who tragically lost their lives to suicide in the aftermath of the paper leak controversy, and the complete withdrawal of FIRs and legal cases registered against protesting students.&nbsp;WATCH VIDEO HERE

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><a href="https://x.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | Delhi | After meeting with the government, Cockroach Janta Party&#39;s National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka says, &quot;The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan&#39;s resignation. We hope the govt will remove him soon. The… <a href="https://t.co/0zwUGAJ6W0">pic.twitter.com/0zwUGAJ6W0</a>&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://x.com/ANI/status/2080584474526704034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cjp-members-may-be-arrested-tonight-dipke-claims-ahead-of-talks-with-centre-over-neet-paper-leak-1784873252398">CJP members to get arrested tonight? Dipke makes dramatic claim ahead of talks with Nadda</a> "The government has expressed in-principle approval on the two demands of compensation for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and withdrawal of FIRs and legal cases on students,” Ashutosh Ranka, National Spokesperson, CJP, told the media. The nationwide fallout over the medical entrance exam irregularities has seen mounting pressure on the administration, with student unions and political organizations staging demonstrations demanding structural reforms and justice for affected families. The CJP's leadership expressed optimism that the government will honor its commitment to drop legal actions against student activists who participated in demonstrations across the country. Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/wangchuk-ends-hunger-strike-but-cjp-protest-will-continue-until-pradhan-resigns-abhijeet-dipke-1784840395182">Wangchuk ends hunger strike, but CJP protest will continue until Pradhan resigns: Abhijeet Dipke</a> All eyes now turn to the government’s scheduled deadline tomorrow afternoon to see whether the administration will yield to the call for cabinet accountability or seek further dialogue with opposition representatives.

Following talks with CJP representatives, the government has agreed in-principle to grant compensation to families of deceased NEET aspirants and withdraw cases against students, while seeking time till tomorrow afternoon regarding demands for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

In a major development surrounding the ongoing NEET examination controversy, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced that the Central Government has requested time until Saturday (July 25) afternoon to decide on the key demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Addressing the press following high-level discussions with government representatives, CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka stated that the political outfit remains steadfast in its push for systemic accountability. "The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the government will remove him soon," Ranka noted. https://www.wionews.com/videos/neet-protest-cjp-refuses-to-back-down-demands-dharmendra-pradhan-s-resignation-wangchuk-ends-fast-1784884354321/embed

Following talks with CJP representatives, the government has agreed in-principle to grant compensation to families of deceased NEET aspirants and withdraw cases against students, while seeking time till tomorrow afternoon regarding demands for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Government has sought time till tomorrow on Dharmendra Pradhan resignation demand, claims CJP

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'Defender of rapists': Rahul Gandhi questions Joshi's appointment as Education Minister

Govt has sought time till tomorrow on Pradhan resignation demand, claims CJP