Shashi Tharoor admitted that Congress’s student outreach on the NEET paper leak just didn’t strike a chord like the protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) did.
Speaking during the 15th anniversary of IIMUN in Mumbai, Tharoor pointed out how Congress had already taken up these issues through its “Chhatron ki Goonj” campaign—where Rahul Gandhi addressed students about exam paper leaks. “The same issues the CJP raised at Jantar Mantar? We brought those up first. Rahul Gandhi spoke to students about these very problems,” Tharoor said.
But he didn’t pretend everything was fine—he admitted that their campaign failed to get the public or the media buzzing the way the CJP protests did.
Tharoor didn’t shy away from some self-criticism either. He said Congress needs to look inward and ask why their campaign didn’t catch on. “Did we not listen closely enough? Are we out of sync with Gen Z?” he wondered, highlighting a disconnect with young voters.
His comments come as opposition groups debate how they handled the whole NEET-UG 2026 paper leak mess, which had already sparked angry student protests across the country.
Last month, the CJP led a big student protest at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak—a movement that eventually put enough pressure on the government to push Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. After the Delhi High Court questioned using Jantar Mantar for demonstrations, CJP defended the venue fiercely.
Congress, for its part, leaned on “Chhatron ki Goonj,” where Rahul Gandhi talked to students about the bigger flaws in the examination system.
Back at the height of these protests, Tharoor didn’t mince words about the government’s response—he called the police crackdown on students “utterly disgraceful” and insisted that no democracy should respond to peaceful protests with violence. He even met with injured protesters in Delhi and spoke about the young people who said they’d been roughed up during the demonstrations.
Tharoor was clear: hardworking students who counted on the system to safeguard their future felt betrayed.
His recent comments have set off debate again. Some BJP leaders are happy to see him admit the Congress campaign didn’t have the desired impact. On the other hand, Congress spokespeople say Rahul Gandhi has always kept the focus on fixing the system, not just on headline-grabbing protests.
Really, the whole episode shows Congress is still trying to figure out how to connect with Gen Z voters—especially on topics like education, jobs, and government accountability.
Tharoor’s honest reflection hints that Congress knows it has to rethink how it reaches out to young people. His rhetorical questions aren’t just for show; they signal the party might adjust its strategy, find better ways to communicate online, and get more active on the ground before the next election.
For now, the NEET paper leak is still front and center. Student groups keep pushing for tougher anti-fraud measures and more accountability from those in charge.
<p>The post ‘Need to check where we failed’: Tharoor admits Congress’s paper leak protest fell short of CJP’s impact first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs.</p>
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