The Bengaluru City Traffic Police on Tuesday refuted claims circulating on social media that a Congress rally attended by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was responsible for a NEET aspirant missing her examination in the city on June 21.

The clarification came after videos and posts online alleged that traffic congestion caused by a Congress event had delayed students travelling to examination centres. Several social media users directly blamed Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership, with some posts claiming that political activity had disrupted the movement of NEET candidates on one of the country’s most important entrance examination days.

However, following a review of CCTV footage and traffic movement records, Bengaluru Traffic Police alleged that the student missed the examination primarily due to a late start from home and the choice of a longer travel route rather than traffic restrictions linked to the rally. According to the police, the Congress event was not the determining factor behind the aspirant’s failure to reach the examination centre on time.

The controversy erupted after videos of distressed students and parents outside a Bengaluru examination centre went viral. Some parents alleged that traffic snarls associated with the Congress programme had delayed candidates. BJP leaders amplified these claims on social media, triggering a political exchange between the ruling Congress government in Karnataka and the opposition BJP.

Karnataka ministers had earlier refuted the claims, noting that thousands of students appeared for the examination across the city and that multiple factors, including individual travel delays, were responsible for cases where candidates arrived late. Authorities had also issued traffic advisories in advance, warning of diversions due to several events scheduled across Bengaluru on the same day.

The incident gained wider attention because Rahul Gandhi has been a vocal critic of alleged irregularities in national entrance examinations, including NEET. Over the past several months, the Congress leader has repeatedly raised concerns over paper leaks, examination management, and student welfare, making the Bengaluru episode politically sensitive and prompting renewed scrutiny on social media.

Opposition responds

“The “Fact Check” released by the Bengaluru Traffic Police regarding the NEET candidate’s delay is a deeply disappointing attempt by the Congress-led State Government to weaponize state machinery and shield itself from public outrage. Instead of showing empathy to students whose futures hang in the balance, the administration is focusing its energy on micro-analyzing the commute of a distressed aspirant,” the state BJP said on a social media post

http://LINK: https://x.com/blrcitytraffic/status/2069281894932594843

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