NEET row: Rahul Gandhi writes to PM, urges him to facilitate debate in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting his government to facilitate a debate on the medical entrance exam NEET issue in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

He said the Opposition's request to discuss NEET was denied in both Houses of Parliament on June 28 as well as on Monday, and added that the Lok Sabha speaker had assured the opposition that he would discuss the matter with the government.

"I am writing to request for a debate in Parliament on NEET," Gandhi said in his letter to the prime minister on Tuesday.

"Our aim is to engage constructively to find a way forward. At this moment, our only concern is the welfare of nearly 24 lakh NEET aspirants across India," he said.

"The NEET examination deserves immediate attention because it has exposed the deep rot in our higher education system. The past seven years have seen over 70 paper leaks, affecting over 2 crore students," the Congress leader added.

"Our students deserve answers. A parliamentary debate is the first step towards rebuilding and restoring their faith," he said.

"Given the urgency of the matter, I request the government to facilitate a debate in the House tomorrow. I believe that it would be fitting if you were to lead this debate in the interest of the students," Gandhi said. PTI