Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday criticised the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test system and demanded its cancellation following allegations of NEET paper leak case and alleged irregularities.
In a detailed post on X, Raj Thackeray accused the Central government of creating confusion and putting millions of students and families under stress through alleged repeated failures in the medical entrance examination system.
The MNS chief referred to allegations that the NEET examination paper had been sold for Rs 10 lakh and claimed that the network behind the leak had links to Maharashtra, while also operating across the country.
He alleged that coaching classes involved in preparing students for NEET were also part of the wider system of corruption surrounding the examination process.
The MNS chief criticised the Centre’s response to the controversy, saying cancelling the examination and ordering a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry was not enough.
According to him, previous investigations had also failed to deliver concrete results, while nearly 22 lakh students and their families were left facing uncertainty.
सस्नेह जय महाराष्ट्र
केंद्र सरकारची प्रत्येक विषयात गोंधळ घालून लोकांना वेठीस धरण्याची परंपरा सुरूच आहे. `NEET` पेपरफुटीने परत एकदा हे सिद्ध झालं. `NEET` चा पेपर १० लाख रुपयांना विकत घेतला गेला. आणि याची मुळं सापडली महाराष्ट्रात. अर्थात हे पेपरफुटीचं जाळं देशव्यापी आहे. यांत…
— Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) May 14, 2026
Opposition to NEET since 2016
Raj Thackeray said that he had opposed NEET since its introduction in 2016, arguing that a single national examination would disadvantage students from Maharashtra and benefit those who could afford expensive coaching classes.
He claimed that wealthy coaching institutions were able to influence the system through financial power, leaving ordinary students at a disadvantage.
He also said leaders from southern Indian states had raised similar objections to NEET over the years.
Concern over regional imbalance
The MNS chief argued that Maharashtra and the five southern states together have more than 350 medical colleges, while several large northern states have far fewer institutions.
According to him, the national examination system was designed to increase admissions of northern students into southern and western states.
He further claimed that large coaching networks based in northern India had learned how to manipulate the system to their advantage.
Merit and transparency questioned
Raj Thackeray questioned the fairness and credibility of the examination process, pointing to instances where students reportedly scored full marks of 720 out of 720, as well as controversies involving grace marks.
He said such developments had weakened public confidence in the system and raised concerns about the quality of future medical professionals.
The MNS leader also criticised Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alleging that repeated controversies had occurred during his tenure.
He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek the minister’s resignation over the handling of the examination system.
Appeal to Maharashtra govt
Raj Thackeray called on ministers in the Maharashtra Government to support southern states in opposing NEET and to take a stronger stand in favour of local students.
He argued that Maharashtra’s medical colleges should primarily benefit students from the state and questioned the purpose of the current system if local students were unable to secure admissions.
The MNS chief also criticised what he described as publicity-focused political activities and urged the state government to focus instead on protecting students’ interests in medical education admissions.
