Rahul Gandhi to PM: Students deserve an apology, not forgiveness

“India’s students do not need the Prime Minister’s forgiveness; instead, they need an apology from him,” Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said in a video released by the Congress on social media on Sunday (August 2, 2026).

The clip showed his interaction with the families of three students—Gopika, Roshini and Vetri Anandan—who were found dead following the NEET paper leak and subsequent cancellation of the examination, during his visit to Tamil Nadu on Saturday (August 1). 

Mr. Gandhi said, “Each family was left with the same painful question: why should honest, hardworking students pay the price for a dishonest system?” Behind every statistic is a child with a dream and a family now living with an irreplaceable loss, he said.

“The Prime Minister speaks of ‘forgiving’ students. After listening to these parents, my conviction is even stronger: India’s students need no forgiveness. The government owes them truth, justice and an apology,” Mr. Gandhi asserted.

Referring to paper leaks and cancelled examinations, he said, “The Prime Minister has the audacity to talk about forgiving the students. Has he even met a single grieving family who has lost their child, or those whose entire savings, life, time and dreams have been snatched away by paper leaks? The answer is no! India’s students do not need the Prime Minister’s forgiveness; Modi ji should apologise to them,” the Congress leader said.

In Mamallapuram, while interacting with the relatives of those who found died, Mr. Gandhi said, “Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them and serious questions about a broken education system. Leaked papers. Cancelled exams. Years of preparation were destroyed overnight. Our students are told to work honestly in a system that is not honest with them.”