Kalaburagi: NEET controversy exposes Centre’s failures, says M.B. Patil

M.B. Patil, Minister of Large and Medium Industries. | B. Patil on Wednesday (July 22) launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of failing to deliver on its promises, mishandling the NEET examination and the alleged police action against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a protest in New Delhi.Speaking to the press at Kalaburagi Airport, Mr. Patil termed the reported police action against Mr. Gandhi during the protest as “undemocratic” and alleged that such incidents had become a pattern since 2014. He said the Congress leader was treated “inhumanely” by the police.Mr. Patil accused the Centre of failing to fulfil its promises, including creating two crore jobs annually, and said unemployment among the youth remained a serious concern. He also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks on the value of the U.S. dollar as an indicator of a country’s economic strength. He alleged that the current economic situation reflected weakness in the Union government’s policies.Referring to the NEET examination controversy, Mr. Patil said the question paper leak had severely affected students and criticised the Centre’s handling of the issue. He said the Prime Minister should have directly interacted with aggrieved students instead of allowing others to issue statements expressing regret.He alleged that those responsible should have been asked to resign immediately after the controversy surfaced, arguing that such action could have prevented subsequent protests. He said the State had demonstrated better administration in conducting examinations through the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).Mr. Patil also questioned the BJP’s stand on corruption, alleging that leaders accused of graft while in Opposition were accepted after joining the party.He also criticised the proposed ‘One Nation, One Election’ initiative, alleging that it was an attempt to centralise power.Cabinet expansion likely by weekendReplying to a query about the State Cabinet expansion, the Minister said the decision would be taken by the Congress leadership at the earliest. He said the exercise had been delayed due to the ongoing Parliament session.Mr. Patil expressed confidence that the Cabinet expansion would take place within the next three to four days, possibly over the weekend. He said the expansion would give priority to first-time entrants and younger legislators while also ensuring representation for senior leaders, whose guidance remained important for the functioning of the government.Responding to reports of the creation of new Deputy Chief Minister posts, Mr. Patil stated that he had no information on the matter. Published - July 22, 2026 08:23 pm IST