Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jammu and Kashmir’s governing National Conference (NC) traded accusations on Wednesday over responsibility for a recruitment examination paper leak, after Union Health Minister J P Nadda linked the region’s recent paper leaks to the Congress-NC alliance.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Nadda accused the opposition Congress of “selectively raising” the issue of examination paper leaks and cited several such incidents in states governed by the party or its allies.
Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Nadda said the recruitment examination conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) was leaked when the Congress and the National Conference were in power.
VIDEO | Delhi: Addressing a press conference on the students’ protest, Union Minister JP Nadda says, “If we look at the instances of paper leaks, there was a leak in the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board examination when the Congress and National Conference were in… pic.twitter.com/7izMv02plb
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 22, 2026
“If we look at the instances of paper leaks, there was a leak in the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board examination when the Congress and National Conference were in power,” Nadda said, questioning Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over what he described as selective criticism of such incidents.
The National Conference rejected the claim, saying the JKSSB paper leak occurred in 2022, when Jammu and Kashmir was under the administration of the Lieutenant Governor and there was no elected government in office.
NC chief spokesperson and legislator Tanvir Sadiq said the recruitment paper leak took place under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration, while the Omar Abdullah-led government assumed office only in October 2024.
“The J&K recruitment paper leak happened in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration… The present government assumed office only in October 2024,” Sadiq said in a post on X.
It is astonishing that the BJP’s Minister @JPNadda Sb would make a claim so divorced from the facts.
The J&K recruitment paper leak happened in 2022 under the Lieutenant Governor’s administration which means directly under you, when there was no elected government. The present… https://t.co/qoqSpqyCPn
— Tanvir Sadiq (@tanvirsadiq) July 22, 2026
He accused Nadda of either failing to distinguish between the Lieutenant Governor’s administration and an elected government or deliberately misleading the public.
National Conference leader Imran Nabi Dar also criticised Nadda’s remarks, saying the timeline contradicted the minister’s assertion.
“The JKSSB paper leak scam took place in March 2022, the selection list was cancelled in July 2022, and the National Conference came to power only in October 2024,” Dar said in a post on X.
Dar further alleged that multiple paper leak cases had occurred during the Lieutenant Governor’s rule and questioned whether the National Conference’s recent protest in New Delhi seeking restoration of statehood had prompted Nadda’s remarks.
Jammu and Kashmir has been under federal administration since its special constitutional status was revoked in 2019. An elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah assumed office in October 2024 following assembly elections.
National Conference spokesperson Tahir Sayeed also disputed Nadda’s remarks, saying the minister had “misstated the timeline” of the recruitment paper leak.
Misleading statement by Union Minister Mr @JPNadda regarding the recruitment paper leak in Jammu & Kashmir.
Mr. Nadda,for your information the incident you referred to during your press conference today took place in 2022, when J&K was under the Lieutenant Governor’s…
— Tahir Sayeed (@TahirsyeedK) July 22, 2026
He urged the Union minister to verify the facts before making such claims, saying senior government officials should ensure information presented at public briefings is accurate.
The exchange comes amid a wider political debate over examination paper leaks across India, with the BJP and opposition parties accusing each other of failing to curb irregularities in recruitment and educational examinations.
