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Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the government was "rattled" by the nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and was forced to accept the protesters' demands, including the resignation of former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Participating in the debate on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, Yadav alleged that the government bowed to public pressure after the protests gained widespread support.

"When the government gets rattled, it accepts... the government bowed down and accepted the demands," he said, referring to Pradhan's resignation.

Yadav expressed hope that the government would honour the assurances made to the protesting students.

He said the agitation was unprecedented as it had received the support of parents, who had encouraged their children to fight for their rights.

Calling it the first such movement backed by parents, Yadav alleged that the government had deprived Dalits and Other Backward Classes of opportunities in recruitment and claimed examination irregularities had become widespread in Uttar Pradesh.

He also criticised the Centre for "outsourcing" the National Testing Agency (NTA), saying the Opposition feared that the government itself could eventually be outsourced.

Yadav further alleged that police used "lathis with spikes and electric batons" against students during the protests, comparing the alleged crackdown to the Emergency. The allegations have not been independently verified.

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday took up discussion on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, ending a week-long impasse.

Introducing the legislation, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said it reaffirmed the government's commitment to protecting students and ensuring the integrity of public examinations.

The Bill, introduced in the House on Monday, proposes stricter punishment for paper leaks, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50 lakh.