Bengaluru, 21 June

Karnataka Congress president BK Hariprasad on Monday expressed regret over the difficulties reportedly faced by some students appearing for the NEET (UG) re-exam in reaching their centres on time due to traffic disruptions, while attacking the BJP over question paper leaks.

He also took a swipe at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya without naming him, saying the "exit master" of Bengaluru was making vague allegations against the Congress.

His remarks came a day after Surya targeted the ruling Congress in Karnataka for holding a mega rally in Bengaluru on the day of the NEET examination (21 June), alleging that it caused massive traffic disruptions and inconvenienced students travelling to examination centres.

"I have seen reports in newspapers and electronic media that some students faced hardship before attending the examination. If any of our children faced such problems, I deeply regret what happened to them," Hariprasad told reporters.

He said thousands of students had reportedly missed the examination in places such as Kalaburagi and Mangaluru, where no Congress programmes were held.

Citing media reports, Hariprasad said only three students were reported to have faced difficulties in Bengaluru.

"If any of our children have faced hardship, my deepest regrets are with them. But at the same time, I would like to question the BJP on what it has done for these students. NEET question papers were leaked twice. About 20 students have died by suicide," he alleged.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged paper leaks, Hariprasad claimed they had failed to express regret and take responsibility for the issue.

"Even today, PM Modi has not expressed regret over what has happened to the students, and the Education Minister has not resigned," he alleged.

He maintained that all necessary precautions had been taken and that the programme was held on Sunday to avoid traffic hassles.

"We discussed the matter with the police and our party workers, and elaborate arrangements were made to regulate traffic," he said.

According to Hariprasad, people started arriving at the convention venue between 8.30am and 9am, while the programme began at 11 am and concluded by 2 pm.

He said candidates appearing at two examination centres near Palace Grounds were required to report by 1.30pm.

"For some reason, some students did not arrive on time. I do not know the exact reason, but we will send a Congress team to find out what difficulties they faced. If there is anything we can do to help them, we will," he said.

Responding to a question on whether the Congress could have scheduled its programme for a different date in view of the NEET examination, Hariprasad said, "It's okay. We had made all the arrangements."

Rejecting the BJP's criticism, Hariprasad said Prime Minister Modi should have made adequate arrangements for students and taken action against those responsible for leaking the question papers.

Rejecting the BJP's allegations, Home Minister Priyank Kharge maintained that only three students had missed the examination. Of them, one student had come from Magadi, which had nothing to do with the Congress rally; another candidate had arrived with an old hall ticket; and only one candidate was travelling from the RT Nagar area.

Citing the standard operating procedures issued by the Centre for NEET, Kharge said examination centre gates were to open at 11 am and close at 1.30 pm, after which no candidate would be permitted entry.

He said a traffic advisory had been issued well in advance and a helpline set up for those requiring assistance.

Hitting back at the BJP, he said that, going by the BJP's logic, if a student missed an examination in Karnataka and the state government was blamed, then governments in other states should also be held responsible when students miss examinations there.

"So, is the Delhi government being blamed for it? Students have also missed examinations in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. If BJP MPs want to hold a press conference, they should first apologise for the incompetence of the Central government. In the last 10 years, 89 paper leaks have taken place, and they have not apologised even for the latest one," he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, R Ashoka, alleged that the Congress rally at Palace Grounds on Sunday led to traffic congestion, causing inconvenience to students appearing for the NEET examination.

Pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had delayed his departure from Delhi airport to ensure that students travelling for the NEET examination faced no traffic disruptions, he said, "The Congress party does not have this sense. If they had postponed their event by a couple of hours, what would they have lost? Congress has destroyed the future of students. They lack common sense. Parents are alleging that the Congress rally led to the traffic jam. They are directly responsible."