‘Not The Angle Of His Camera, PM Should Change Angle Of His Heart’
“If you want to win over Gen Z, then making videos with different camera angles will not help. Pradhan Mantri ji ko camera ka angle nahin, dil ka angle badalna padega," Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi said in Parliament
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has launched a sharp attack on the Centre over its handling of student protests following the NEET question paper leak, accusing the government of responding with force instead of addressing students’ concerns.
Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Priyanka questioned the government’s response to demonstrations in New Delhi and other parts of the country, where students protested against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
She demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah explain who authorised the use of force against students.
“The Prime Minister and the Home Minister must answer who authorised the use of pellet guns and AK-47s against protesting students,” she said, referring to reports of police action during demonstrations.
Criticising the government’s approach, Priyanka said every instance of force used against students damaged the government’s own image rather than discouraging protests.
“Every ‘lathi’ blow on any boy or girl is a hit on the government’s prestige, not the back of students,” she said.
She added that while authorities may be able to remove students from the streets, they cannot silence the questions they are raising.
“Students can be removed from the streets but not their questions,” she told the House.
The Congress leader argued that the government should use the opportunity to reform the country’s examination system instead of treating the protests as a law-and-order issue.
She said the proposed legislation should be accompanied by broader education reforms developed through consultations with all stakeholders.
“The government needs to take concrete steps by taking all stakeholders along to put a new education system in place,” she said.
Priyanka accused the government of failing India’s youth and urged the Prime Minister to accept responsibility for the problems in the examination system.
“Injustice has been done with youths under your government. Accept the truth. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must take responsibility,” she said.
The Congress MP also targeted the Prime Minister over his public outreach to young people, saying social media campaigns alone would not help the government connect with the younger generation.
“If you want to win over Gen Z, then making videos with different camera angles will not help. Pradhan Mantri ji ko camera ka angle nahin, dil ka angle badalna padega (The Prime Minister needs to change the angle of his heart, not the angle of his camera),” she said.
She further claimed that today’s youth are quick to recognise political messaging that they consider insincere.
“This generation has the ability to identify lies,” she remarked.
Focusing on examination reforms, Priyanka alleged that repeated paper leaks have exposed deep flaws in the recruitment and examination system.
She claimed that 152 examination papers had leaked over the past 10 years, but alleged that no examination mafia had been brought to justice.
“The examination system has failed, and despite so many paper leaks, not one mafia has been punished,” she said, arguing that stronger implementation was needed alongside tougher laws.
Her speech briefly led to disruptions in the House after she made remarks about the newly appointed Education Minister, Pralhad Joshi. Members objected to the comments, resulting in a short exchange before the debate resumed.
The discussion marked the end of nearly a week of disruptions in the Lok Sabha, allowing Parliament to take up the government’s proposed anti-paper leak legislation.
Opening the debate, Union Minister Jitendra Singh defended the proposed law, saying it reflected the government’s commitment to protecting students and ensuring the credibility of public examinations.
He described The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 as a step towards preventing malpractice in competitive examinations and safeguarding the interests of millions of students and job aspirants across the country.
The Bill seeks to strengthen the legal framework against unfair means in public examinations, including paper leaks and organised cheating, amid growing concerns over repeated examination irregularities.
The issue has become politically significant after the NEET question paper leak triggered protests by students demanding accountability and reforms in the examination process. Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to prevent repeated leaks, while the Centre has maintained that the new law will introduce stricter measures to curb malpractice and restore confidence in the examination system.
