After the Delhi High Court designated a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts to exclusively hear criminal cases arising out of question paper leaks and the use of unfair means in public examinations, the Congress on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on setting up fast-track courts for such cases, alleging that the existing legal framework already provided for the same.The High Court appointed Judge Anu Grover Baliga as the Special Judge to preside over the designated fast-track court, which will exclusively deal with offences relating to examination malpractices, including question paper leaks and other fraudulent practices affecting recruitment and public examinations. Currently serving as District Judge (Commercial)-04 in the South-East district, Judge Baliga has been tasked with ensuring the speedy trial of criminal cases registered in connection with examination fraud.The development came a day after Prime Minister Modi, in a late-night video message responding to the paper leak controversy, announced that fast-track courts would be established to prosecute those involved in examination scams.Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh alleged that the Centre was attempting to project the Prime Minister’s “midnight” announcement even though fast-track courts could already be constituted under the existing law.Referring to the Delhi High Court’s order, he claimed the Prime Minister’s promise was a “headline-grabbing exercise” aimed at misleading the youth.Ramesh argued that constituting fast-track courts alone would not resolve the problem unless investigations were thorough, completed in a time-bound manner and backed by political will. He alleged that the Modi government’s conduct over the past 12 years showed a pattern of denying paper leaks instead of ensuring accountability.Listing what he described as examples of the government’s approach, Ramesh alleged that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had deliberately avoided using the word “leak” while addressing the NEET-UG 2026 examination controversy.He also claimed that the Education Ministry had informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education that no paper leak had taken place in the examination.He further alleged that the government had buried evidence of widespread irregularities in the NEET-UG 2024 examination despite what he described as suspicious clustering of toppers at a handful of examination centres.While the government later acknowledged what it termed a “selective leak” in Hazaribagh, Ramesh alleged that it had failed to bring those responsible to justice, claiming that Sanjeev Mukhiya, earlier described as the alleged kingpin in the case, was now being projected by the CBI as innocent.Questioning the investigation into the cancelled UGC-NET 2024 examination, Ramesh alleged that the CBI had filed a closure report concluding that there had been no paper leak without assigning reasons for arriving at that conclusion.Describing the proposed fast-track courts as an “eyewash”, Ramesh maintained that the issue was not the absence of legal provisions but the government’s lack of intent to ensure accountability.Reiterating the Congress’ demands, he called for the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, action against those responsible for the alleged use of force on protesting students and an apology from Prime Minister Modi to the students.