A movement that began as a unified push in support of students protesting alleged irregularities in the NEET examination has turned into a political credit war, revealing tensions within the Opposition.
A day after Congress leaders held a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence over the NEET issue, Gitanjali Angmo — wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk — publicly questioned whether political parties associating with the movement were doing so sincerely.
Angmo said the movement was not aligned with any single party or the government, describing Parliament as the institution the movement respects most and stressing that the protest remains non-partisan. She said support from any party or individual is welcome, but only if offered with genuine intent, adding that those pursuing their own agendas would eventually be exposed.
Referring to the Congress protest outside the PM’s residence — during which senior leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were detained — Angmo suggested it would have carried more weight had it taken place alongside the student protesters at Jantar Mantar, and argued that political leaders can no longer get away with symbolic gestures without real action.
AAP and Congress Trade Accusations
The remarks came as tensions rose between two INDIA bloc partners, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP accused the Congress of engaging in self-serving politics and attempting to take over the student-led protest rather than uniting the Opposition against the government, alleging coordination between the Congress and BJP aimed at optics rather than substance. AAP leaders Atishi and Sanjay Singh both raised questions about the Congress’s intentions, with Singh critiquing Rahul Gandhi’s call for people to join the Congress protest as an effort to overshadow the Jantar Mantar demonstration.
Congress rejected the criticism, with party MP Jothimani arguing that AAP’s attacks on fellow Opposition members undermine the broader fight against the government.
Friction With Samajwadi Party
Separately, discord emerged between the Congress and Samajwadi Party during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, after SP leaders reportedly objected to Congress members interrupting proceedings when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla invited Akhilesh Yadav to speak. Yadav is said to have told Congress leader KC Venugopal that the SP supported them but asked why they weren’t allowed to speak.
Movement vs. Messaging
The episodes point to a widening gap between the organizers of the NEET protests and political parties seeking to align with them. While Opposition parties have targeted the government over alleged failures in exam governance, the Wangchuk camp maintains the protest is meant to stay above party politics — with Angmo’s comments signaling that support is conditional on it being free of partisan motives.