Rahul Gandhi backs student protests in Lok Sabha; 'idiot' remark sparks uproar

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was "excited" and "reassured" by the student protests over the NEET paper leak issue, describing them as an expression of the aspirations and concerns of India's youth.

Participating in the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi said the protests reflected the voice of a new generation rather than anger or violence.

"I was very excited, reassured by what the future of this country did on our streets. This was not anger, not violence, not hatred. This was an expression, deep expression of the youth of this country, of the future generation of this country," he said.

Gandhi urged all political parties, including the BJP, to respect the students' concerns. He said BJP leaders would find that their own children would understand and agree with the protesting students' sentiments.

"There is nothing wrong with what happened, and every Indian should be proud," he said.

During his speech, Gandhi recalled a conversation with a group of students, which he said gave him a different perspective on education and the meaning of being a student.

Quoting an 18-year-old student, he said a student was someone with an open mind and heart, who accepted that knowledge was constantly evolving and understood the importance of humility.

Gandhi then described another category of people who, according to the student, believed they knew everything and refused to listen to others. He quoted the student as calling such people "idiots".

The remark triggered protests in the House, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objecting to the use of what he described as an "unparliamentary" word. Speaker Om Birla asked Gandhi to focus on the debate and said such expressions would be expunged from the proceedings if required.

Gandhi clarified that he was quoting the student and was not referring to any member of Parliament. Continuing his remarks, Gandhi said the student had also described a third category, referring to "andhbhakts", who were convinced that such people were infallible.

He said the student's observations reflected broader concerns about the education system and argued that the protests, though triggered by examination-related issues, represented a larger debate on the future of education in the country.