- Akhilesh Yadav denies SP-Congress rift over NEET issue.
- Demands Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
- Confronts KC Venugopal after Lok Sabha adjournment.
Parliament Monsoon Session 2026: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday dismissed reports of internal rifts between his party and the Congress, stating that while individual interests may differ, concerns over youth, unemployment, and the NEET paper leak remain the same.
"There may have been some speculation about differences between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress over the Assembly elections, but there is no bitterness. Individual interests may differ, but the issues remain the same. The concerns of the youth, students, the NEET examination, unemployment, inflation and farmers are common to all of us," news agency PTI quoted Yadav as saying.
VIDEO | Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "... If governments that have been in power for so many years cannot ensure the proper functioning of a single medical college, what assurance can they give students? The issue before us is coordination among Opposition… pic.twitter.com/FqXmKdEkO5
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 22, 2026
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High Drama In Lok Sabha Over NEET Leak
Opposition MPs stormed the House demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak. Tensions flared when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla allowed Congress MP KC Venugopal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to speak instead, a move that drew a strong objection from the Samajwadi Party chief.
Yadav insisted that the crisis was not about the Samajwadi Party, Congress, or BJP, but about the nation's students. "You have allowed them (Congress) and them (BJP) to speak. What about us? Has the government struck a deal? Have you reached some kind of understanding?" he said.
Demanding Pradhan's resignation, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister warned that if students' concerns continue to be ignored, they will take to the streets again.
KC Venugopal Confronts Akhilesh Yadav Over Remarks
Congress MP KC Venugopal confronted the Samajwadi Party chief immediately after the Lok Sabha adjourned, expressing his displeasure over his earlier remarks.
Standing his ground, Yadav said, "Resignations can be submitted later, but first we want answers from the government on the brutality against the students." He further questioned the Prime Minister's silence in the House, asking, "Can't he [PM Modi] make a statement in Parliament for the youth of the country? If he can speak outside, then why not inside Parliament?"