CHANDIGARH, Aug 3 : The Punjab Assembly on Monday paid tributes to NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the examination paper leak, while urging the Centre to strengthen safeguards to prevent such tragedies in the future.
During obituary references on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan said the alleged NEET paper leak had led to the loss of several young lives and expressed the House’s heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
He called on the Central Government to put in place a robust system to ensure that no student loses their life due to such incidents again.
Following the Speaker’s remarks, BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma questioned when the Punjab Government would acknowledge its own alleged failures, apparently referring to paper leak incidents reported in the state.
The issue comes days after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann welcomed the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy, stating that the country’s youth had forced a “stubborn government” to bow. Mann had also claimed that 22 students across the country died by suicide in the aftermath of the alleged paper leak.
During the obituary references, BSP MLA Nachhattar Pal urged the Assembly to also pay homage to human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, victims of alleged fake police encounters, and those killed after being pulled from buses during Punjab’s militancy period.
The House also paid tributes to Olympian Randhir Singh, former MLA Sahib Ram Bishnoi, martyr Sarabjeet Singh and freedom fighter Sewa Singh.
Members observed a two-minute silence in memory of the departed as a mark of respect.
