New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's first public response to the ongoing protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak has triggered a flood of reactions on X, with a majority of users criticising the minister and calling for his resignation.

In a post on Monday, Pradhan accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of 'shamelessly exploiting students as political tools' to disrupt the Monsoon Session of Parliament. However, the statement drew sharp responses from several users in the comment section.

Many commenters questioned why the minister had not stepped down despite repeated controversies surrounding competitive examinations.

Several users accused him of ignoring students' concerns, while others said the protests would end only if he resigned.

Some comments alleged that the government had failed to prevent recurring paper leaks and demanded greater accountability from the Education Ministry.

A section of users also referred to reports of students allegedly dying by suicide and claimed that protesters had faced police action during demonstrations, blaming the Centre for mishandling the crisis.

Others criticised Pradhan for continuing to post on X instead of directly addressing the allegations surrounding the examination process.

One user sarcastically wrote, 'Na padha hoon, Na padhne dunga,' taking a swipe at the minister. Another said Pradhan had become the 'primary instrument' that could hurt the BJP politically in the future.

However, not all reactions were critical. One user argued that the NEET paper leak should not be blamed directly on the Education Minister, claiming the alleged leak involved individuals responsible for preparing the question paper.

The same user, however, added that Pradhan should still resign over the UGC controversy, which they believed fell under his direct responsibility.

The reactions reflect the intense debate unfolding on social media as the alleged NEET paper leak and exam irregularities continue to dominate the political discourse.

The comments represent the views of individual social media users and have not been independently verified.