Union Minister Jitendra Singh has revealed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi shifted the goalposts during the Congress protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, adding a fresh demand after the Centre agreed to his initial condition.
Singh, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), reached the protest site nearly an hour after the demonstration began and held a brief discussion with Rahul Gandhi. Despite the meeting, Congress MPs later maintained that the talks had failed to resolve the deadlock, claiming the government’s response fell short of their demands.
In a post on X, Singh said he, along with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, was deputed by the government to engage with the protesters since the demonstration was being led by senior Congress figures, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi.
Recounting the conversation, Singh claimed Rahul Gandhi told him the protest would be withdrawn if the government agreed to hold a discussion in Parliament on the NEET controversy, alleged paper leaks, and the nationwide protests surrounding the issue.
According to Singh, he immediately sought approval from the government’s top leadership and returned with an assurance that Parliament would indeed take up a discussion on all issues related to NEET and the examination controversy.
Rahul Gandhi added another condition: Jitendra Singh
Singh said that instead of ending the protest after receiving the assurance, Rahul Gandhi introduced a new precondition. He claimed the Congress leader insisted that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign before the protest could be called off.
“After being informed that the government had accepted the proposal for a parliamentary discussion, Rahul Gandhi said this alone was not enough and demanded the resignation of the Union Education Minister,” Singh said.
The minister further claimed he reminded Rahul Gandhi that only minutes earlier his sole demand had been a discussion in Parliament.
According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi replied that his demands had now changed.
‘It is my prerogative to change my demands,’ Rahul Gandhi replied
Jitendra Singh further alleged that when he urged Rahul Gandhi not to alter his stand after receiving the government’s assurance, the Congress leader dismissed the criticism.
The minister said Rahul Gandhi responded by saying it was “his prerogative” to change his demands.
Singh also said Home Secretary Govind Mohan informed the Congress leader that the area outside the Prime Minister’s residence was not an appropriate location for a sit-in protest.
According to the minister, Rahul Gandhi replied that it was “his prerogative to sit wherever he wants.”
Congress leaders, meanwhile, maintained after the meeting that the discussions had remained inconclusive and asserted that their demands had not been fulfilled.
