4 min readNew DelhiJul 31, 2026 02:12 AM IST
JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha on Thursday alleged foreign involvement in the Jantar Mantar agitation, triggering protests from the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Participating in a discussion on the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, Jha said while the Cockroach Janata Party protests were underway, he had seen a Malayalam television channel reporting that “some Dubai-based businessmen had secured travel tickets for 23 people and helped them participate in the protests”.
“What relation did these people have with NEET? The demand of students and their sentiments are genuine. But it is a matter of investigation as to who were the people who infiltrated the protest and were trying to hijack it,” Jha said.
The remarks immediately sparked protests from the Opposition benches, led by MPs from Kerala, who sought to rebut the allegation. The Chair, however, did not permit interventions as Jha was still speaking.
Later, CPI(M) MP A A Rahim said Jha should authenticate his statement about watching a Malayalam channel, arguing that his allegations were not supported by facts. The Chair said it would examine the matter.
CPI(M) member John Brittas argued that those who had travelled from Dubai were Indian citizens and had every right to participate in protests.
“They are citizens of India. Figuratively, Dubai is the 15th district of Kerala. They have every right to come to India and participate in a protest. A wrong message should not go from this House,” Brittas said.
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Responding to the controversy over Sanjeev Mukhiya, whom the CBI gave a clean chit in the 2024 NEET paper leak case last year, Jha said Mukhiya remained lodged in Buxar jail in connection with other criminal cases. “There are so many cases against him that there is no possibility of him getting out,” he said.
The issue of Mukhiya, who was initially arrested by Bihar Police in the 2024 NEET paper leak case and later taken into custody by the CBI, had been raised earlier in the debate by Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.
Jha appealed to the members to rise above partisan politics while discussing exam paper leaks. “When a question paper is leaked, it does not merely violate the secrecy of the exam but also erodes the trust in the system… So I request that this issue not be measured on the yardstick of politics. The students are not asking who belongs to which party. She is asking if her hard work is secure and if she will get justice. Parliament has to answer this question,” he said.
Calling paper leaks a recurring national problem, Jha said: “Paper leak is not a new issue. In different times, under governments of different parties, such issues have come up. The biggest cost of this is paid by students. This is not a question of the failure of a party or government; it is a national challenge. Its solution should be found with a national perspective.”
