‘Show the terrorists’ faces!’: Rahul Gandhi Stands by Vedant, Questions Abuse Faced by CBSE Student

May 31, 2026

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi met Vedant Srivastava, a Class 12 student who was in the news for the CBSE answersheet controversy. Vedant had alleged that his Physics answersheet provided by CBSE was not his, after which the matter quickly went viral on social media.

Rahul Gandhi spoke with Vedant, his brother Siddhant, and other students. During the meeting, he recounted the accusations and trolling the students faced after going public with their complaints.

A revealing chat with my fellow “anti-national Soros agents.”

Vedant and his friends are brilliant, brave young Indians who asked CBSE and the Modi government simple questions – but got insults instead of answers.

They deserve a bright and secure future. We will make sure they… pic.twitter.com/5InBxgJv1B

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 31, 2026

‘Were you also called terrorists?’

During the meeting, Rahul Gandhi jokingly asked the students, “Were you also called terrorists?” Vedant’s brother Siddhant laughingly replied that he had been called a “deep state agent” on social media and accused of trying to spread unrest in the country.

Rahul Gandhi laughed at this, saying, “17-year-old Deep State agents! Show their faces… Show the faces of these ‘terrorists.'” He also sarcastically referred to the students in a social media post, calling them his “fellow anti-nationals and Soros agents.”

What is the Vedant case?

Vedant Srivastava, a resident of Delhi, claimed that the Physics answer sheet shown to him by CBSE did not match his handwriting. He said the handwriting in the answer sheet was completely different from his other subject copies and personal notes.

Vedant’s complaint went viral on the social media platform X and was viewed by millions of people. After the issue escalated, CBSE investigated and stated that the correct answer sheet had been provided to the student. The necessary corrections were later made to his marks.

Major questions raised about the OSM system

After Vedant’s case came to light, questions were raised about CBSE’s new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Another student from Jharkhand, Sarthak Siddhant, published a detailed blog post on the tender allocation related to this system, further fueling the controversy.

Opposition leaders demanded an independent investigation into the matter, while CBSE and the company involved in the OSM system denied all allegations.

This controversy has emerged at a time when the country’s examination system is already under scrutiny for the NEET-UG paper leak and technical glitches in CUET-UG. This CBSE case is sparking a new debate about the transparency and accountability of the examination evaluation process.