Old Admit Card, Wrong Bus: Priyank Kharge Rejects Congress Link To Students Missing NEET Exam

Last Updated:June 22, 2026, 12:26 IST

He further defended the state government's handling of the situation, and said authorities had issued traffic advisories and established a dedicated helpline for students.

Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday rejected the Opposition’s allegations that traffic disruptions caused by a Congress event led to some students missing the NEET examination, and hit back at the BJP by raising questions over past instances involving exam delays and paper leaks.

Responding to claims that three to four students were unable to reach their examination centres because of traffic congestion, Kharge said, “First, let the BJP take responsibility for the paper leak that happened. Let Mr Modi do a pariksha pe charcha with the students. Will they talk in a curated fashion then?"

He further defended the state government’s handling of the situation, and said authorities had issued traffic advisories and established a dedicated helpline for students.

“How can we be held responsible for a student bringing her old admit card for this exam? How can we be held responsible if the student took the wrong bus to reach the exam centre? We can be sympathetic, but if the Opposition wants to do politics over it, then we are ready," he said.

Kharge pointed to similar incidents in other states, saying, “Delhi also people missed. The Delhi govt is responsible. Maharashtra also had students who missed. The respective governments are responsible. Last time when students missed a train due to a delay, the SC fined the railways Rs 9 lakh. Did they make Ashwini Vaishnav resign?"

This comes after several NEET-UG aspirants and their parents alleged on Sunday that severe traffic congestion in Bengaluru caused delays in reaching examination centres, triggering a political controversy, with the opposition Janata Dal (Secular) and BJP accusing the Congress government of poor planning and traffic management.

While speaking to CNN-News18, students outside examination centres claimed they were caught in heavy traffic and reached their centres under immense stress, with some alleging that delays put them at risk of missing the examination altogether.

Earlier, Priyank Kharge accused BJP leaders of spreading misinformation and presenting what he described as facts.

Kharge said 720 students had been allotted RC College as their NEET examination centre and that 142 candidates were absent. While acknowledging that three students had missed the examination, he disputed attempts to attribute all such cases to the Congress event.

According to the minister, one student travelling from Magadi was unable to get a bus on time and arrived late, while another candidate arrived with an old admit card from the May 3 examination and was therefore not permitted to appear. He said only one student coming from the RT Nagar side missed the examination, and that the reason behind the delay was still being verified.

“The Bengaluru Traffic Police had issued public notifications and traffic advisories well in advance," Kharge said.

The controversy erupted after Bengaluru witnessed heavy traffic movement on the day the Congress held a mega convention at Palace Grounds to formally mark BK Hariprasad taking charge as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president.

Students Climb College Gate

Three girl students attempted to enter their NEET-UG re-examination centre by climbing over the main gate after arriving late at a college in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The incident took place at Government Ramnarayan College, where the students reached the venue shortly after the 1:30 pm deadline for entry into the examination centre had passed.

JD(S) Accuses Congress

The issue soon turned into a political flashpoint, with the JD(S) accusing the Congress government of failing to ensure smooth traffic management on a day when thousands of students were appearing for one of the country’s most crucial entrance examinations.

In a post on X, the JD(S) alleged that the Congress event had “thrown a wrench into the future of innocent students" who had spent a year preparing for the national-level test. The party claimed that several candidates were unable to take the examination after getting caught in traffic and reaching their centres after the entry deadline had passed.

Seeking accountability, the JD(S) linked the disruption to the Congress convention and the traffic arrangements put in place by authorities. It also criticised the Home Department and the police for permitting a large political gathering on the same day as the NEET re-examination.

Calling the move negligent and irresponsible, the party accused the Congress government of prioritising political events over the interests of students and their families.

Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy alleged that several students were affected due to traffic congestion caused by a Congress event, claiming that their futures had been impacted.

He said, “The lives of several students have been ruined because of the Congress event. Several students got late because of the traffic jam."

The convention, attended by senior Congress leaders and hundreds of party workers, was held at Palace Grounds, where BK Hariprasad formally assumed charge as state Congress president.

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