NEW DELHI: On Saturday, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), asserting that repeated incidents of examination paper leaks are indicative of the Centre’s failure to reform the system. He warned that such issues would continue as long as the BJP remained in power.

The former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh pointed out that the ongoing examination irregularities jeopardize the futures of students and job seekers. This statement follows the recent cancellation of the NEET (UG) 2026 examination by the National Testing Agency (NTA) due to allegations of a paper leak. Yadav characterized the situation as a chronic governance failure, emphasizing that the government has not learned from prior controversies surrounding competitive examinations.

“This is not a new problem under this government. Issues related to education, exams, and paper leaks are persistent; the government consistently fails to learn from its errors, resulting in our students and aspiring examinees bearing the brunt,” Yadav remarked.

BJP’s Vision Questioned

Challenging the Centre’s narrative of a “Viksit Bharat,” he questioned how employment could be generated amid ongoing examination malpractices. “The government talks about building a ‘Viksit Bharat,’ but with continual paper leaks in this developed India, who will create employment? This is a critical question. As long as the BJP is in power, paper leaks will persist. The BJP is the only party responsible for creating this crisis. The situation will only improve once they are removed from power,” he declared.

These comments follow the NTA’s decision to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination, which took place on May 3. The agency has announced that the examination will be rescheduled, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will conduct a thorough inquiry into the allegations.

Concerns Over Examination Credibility

Earlier this week, Yadav expressed skepticism about the credibility of the re-conduct of the examination, questioning the assurance candidates have that the paper would not be leaked again. In a post on X, he stated, “The news has ignited significant anger and despair among millions of children and their families against the BJP’s corrupt system.”

Yadav emphasized that the examination system will remain exposed to vulnerabilities as long as the BJP governs. “While the BJP is in power, exams will continue to be compromised; it is only post-BJP that the examination system can be salvaged,” he stated, labeling the BJP as a “failed government.”

Allegations of Corruption in Uttar Pradesh

In a separate statement on Saturday, Yadav criticized the Uttar Pradesh government regarding alleged embezzlement of donations related to the Ram Mandir. He questioned the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and criticized why the state administration failed to detect the alleged wrongdoings, even after numerous visits by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Ayodhya.

“The SIT report indicates that CCTV footage was tampered with. Was the Chief Minister visiting Ayodhya to oversee theft? Despite all these visits, how is it possible that he remained unaware of what was happening within the temple complex?” he asked.

Yadav further argued that the infrastructure of Ayodhya does not meet international standards expected from a global pilgrimage site. “The development works in Ayodhya have not lived up to expectations. A destination attracting global visitors should have world-class infrastructure, and the devotees coming here deserve international-standard facilities,” he concluded.