NEET-UG 2026 paper leak: Congress submits notice seeking action against Dharmendra Pradhan over 'outrageous' remarks against Parliamentary panel

This comes following Pradhan's “outrageous” remarks about Parliamentary Standing Committees having Opposition MPs.

New Delhi: Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh on Monday submitted a notice seeking initiation of breach of privilege proceedings against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his “outrageous” remarks about Parliamentary Standing Committees having Opposition MPs while responding about NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.

Invoking Rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Council of States (Rajya Sabha), Ramesh wrote to Chairman CP Radhakrishnan saying the minister's remarks were “highly derogatory and seek to malign parliamentarians, Parliamentary committees and Parliament”.

He recalled that the Parliamentary panels are an extension of the Parliament and “rightly so referred to as mini-Parliament”.

Pradhan had on May 15 addressed a press conference after the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 examination following paper leak and was asked as to why his ministry had not implemented the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports headed by senior Congress MP Digvijaya Singh in its report on the National Testing Agency.

The minister had then responded, "I will not comment on Parliament Standing Committee red flags. I will speak about the High-Level Committee of Experts (HLCE)/Radhakrishnan Committee. The Parliament Standing Committee has members from the opposition. They write things in a certain manner, you also know that. Hence, I won't speak on the standing committee."

Ramesh found these remarks as "outrageous" and said, the Executive’s accountability to the Legislature and its Parliamentary committees is a fundamental tenet of India’s democratic polity.

"The minister’s impugned comments clearly indicate and reveal his contempt for the Parliament, parliamentary committees, members of the parliamentary committee that are drawn from all political parties and India’s constitutional democracy itself. He has deliberately lowered the stature and prestige of the institution of the Standing Committee simply because of its bipartisan nature," Ramesh said.

The minister’s comments also "tantamount to imputing dishonourable motives" to members of Parliamentary committees themselves, he said.

"​It is well established that any derogatory references to parliamentary committees, members of parliamentary committees constitute a gross contempt of such parliamentary committees. The contempt of the parliamentary committee constitutes contempt of the House," he said.

The conduct of the Education Minister constitutes a "grave breach of privilege and contempt" of the House and a fit case for action by the Chairman since the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education is one of the eight standing committees of the Rajya Sabha, he added.