The Congress party’s latest protests over the NEET paper leak controversy perfectly capture the deep hypocrisy that now defines much of its politics. On Friday, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, staged demonstrations demanding strict action against “paper leak mafias” and coaching syndicates accused of ruining the future of students. Leading the protest was NSUI president Vinod Jakhar, who claimed that coaching mafias purchase leaked papers, exploit aspirants and later escape accountability.
The problem, however, is that the very leader spearheading Congress’s anti-paper leak campaign was himself named in an examination impersonation controversy in the past.
In 2015, a case was registered in Jaipur during a Rajasthan University PMT examination after a dummy candidate was caught appearing in place of Vinod Jakhar, who was then associated with Rajasthan College student politics. Reports published from the time stated that university flying squad officials discovered discrepancies after invigilators noticed that the photograph on the admit card did not match the individual writing the examination.
They further added that while another person was allegedly writing the exam, Jakhar himself was reportedly outside the examination premises. The matter reportedly led to a police case, detention of accused individuals and a search operation for Jakhar, who allegedly absconded initially before later being apprehended.
That is what makes Congress’s current outrage over examination fraud appear less like a principled stand and more like political theatre. A party that now seeks to occupy the moral high ground on paper leaks chose to place at the forefront of its campaign a leader who himself faced allegations linked to exam malpractice.
This is not merely about one individual. It reflects a broader pattern within Congress politics where the party routinely attempts to project itself as a crusader for ethics and accountability while overlooking uncomfortable questions surrounding its own functionaries. Whether the issue is corruption, institutional integrity or now examination fraud, Congress repeatedly engages in selective morality, outrage when politically convenient, silence when the controversy touches its own ecosystem.
What makes the episode particularly striking is that NSUI’s protest was framed around protecting students’ futures and demanding accountability from those accused of manipulating examinations.
