New Delhi: Stepping up his attack on the Centre over NEET paper leaks, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that India's education system was "in tatters" and that students from lower- and middle-class families were losing out because of a "broken" system.
Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Rahul Gandhi alleged that India's education system had been "rigged" under the current dispensation.
"At least 152 paper leaks have happened in the past 10 years. About 7.5 crore students and families have been affected because of this, but there has not been a single conviction," Rahul Gandhi said.
Defending the protests by students in the national capital, the Congress MP said they were fighting for a fair and legitimate cause, but alleged that the government was using force to browbeat and suppress them.
"Their demands are completely legitimate," he said.
Stepping up his attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rahul Gandhi described him as "corrupt and incompetent" and demanded that he step down from his position.
Rahul Gandhi said India's biggest asset -- its education system -- was being destroyed under Pradhan's watch.
The Congress MP also put forward three specific demands and urged the government to address the concerns raised by the protesting students.
Listing his first demand, Rahul Gandhi said, "Dharmendra Pradhan must be relieved of his duties because of his ineptness and incompetency."
His other demands included fixing accountability and culpability for those responsible for lapses in the NEET examinations and seeking an apology from the top person (Prime Minister) "behind the entire mess".
Rahul Gandhi further alleged that the "rigged" education system had severely disadvantaged students from poor and middle-class families, raising concerns that they were being denied a fair and level-playing opportunity.
He said students worked hard and their families spent lakhs of rupees on competitive examinations, but ultimately, they were locked out of the system while those from privileged backgrounds secured medical seats.
With IANS inputs