Jaipur, May 25 (IANS) — Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday accused the government of prioritising electoral politics over public welfare, sharply criticising rising fuel prices, persistent inflation, alleged lapses in handling the NEET paper leaks and broader governance and foreign policy choices. He said the opposition will launch a sustained statewide agitation to press demands on inflation, unemployment and accountability.
Speaking to reporters in Jaipur, Pilot said petrol and diesel prices have climbed since election results were declared and questioned why hikes were not announced earlier if they were unavoidable. He warned that higher fuel costs are pushing up prices across the economy, and argued the government’s advice to curb spending on items such as cooking oil and gold ignores the root impact of energy-driven inflation. “When petrol and diesel prices rise, inflation spreads across the economy and affects every household,” he said.
Pilot criticised the response to the NEET paper leak, saying the exam has been hit by leaks for three consecutive years — 2024, 2025 and 2026 — and that shifting investigations to the CBI does not remove the government’s responsibility. He asked how many other exams might have seen malpractice that never came to light and urged strict accountability for officials if authorities are serious about protecting students and youth.
Highlighting the human cost, Pilot noted that nearly 22 lakh students appeared for the examination and said many have suffered severe stress. Referring to Jhunjhunu, he alleged a student from a poor Dalit family died by suicide and said similar cases are emerging while authorities remain insensitive.
Pilot accused organised “education mafias” of running paper-leak operations, saying such networks — not students — buy leaked papers for crores. He questioned what action Rajasthan and central governments have taken to dismantle these networks and argued the leak surfaced only because students complained, not because officials detected it. “The National Testing Agency has effectively become a ‘National Trauma Agency’, yet accountability remains absent,” he remarked.
On foreign policy, and referring to the recent visit of the US Secretary of State to Jaipur, Pilot said India should pursue balanced relations rooted in equality. He said energy, fiscal and foreign policies must operate independently and bilateral ties should be conducted on equal terms with the United States, Russia and China.
Pilot also warned that recent policy directions could harm farmers and the agricultural sector, calling agriculture “the backbone of the country” and saying its protection is essential for any meaningful economic or foreign-policy debate. He further raised concerns about delays in civic body and Panchayat elections, noting courts have repeatedly directed polls for student unions, Panchayats and municipalities but elections remain pending.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/-309
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-05-25 23:44:00
