Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday strongly defended the nationwide student protests over the NEET paper leak controversy, calling them a powerful expression of the aspirations of India’s youth, as the Lok Sabha resumed discussion on the Bill to strengthen the anti-paper leak law.Participating in the debate, the Congress MP urged all political parties, including the BJP, to respect the sentiments of the protesting students.”I was very excited, reassured by what the future of this country did on our streets. This was not anger, not violence, not hatred. This was a deep expression of the youth of this country, of the future generation of this country,” Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha.He added that the protests reflected the concerns of young Indians and deserved support across party lines.”I feel that all political parties must respect this expression, including my friends in the BJP. I am pretty certain that if my friends in the BJP were to go and ask their own children what they felt about what their brothers and sisters were doing, they would find agreement among their own children,” he said.Calling the demonstrations a moment of national significance, Gandhi remarked:”There is nothing wrong with what has happened and every Indian should be proud.”Debate resumes amid Opposition protestsThe Lok Sabha resumed discussion on the amendment Bill at noon after proceedings were briefly adjourned following Opposition protests demanding the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the House.Speaker Om Birla appealed to protesting members to return to their seats and allow business to continue.”I have given adequate time to everyone to speak. The House sat till 11 pm last night,” Birla said.Government seeks tougher anti-paper leak lawThe amendment Bill, introduced by the government on Monday, comes in the wake of nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act by introducing stricter penalties for those involved in paper leaks, including up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹50 lakh.Members present their viewsOpening the debate, JD(U) MP Dileshwar Kamait welcomed the proposed amendments, saying the law would act as a “Sudarshan Chakra” against those responsible for paper leaks.Independent MP Pappu Yadav, who supports the Congress, alleged that several students had died by suicide while many others suffered depression after the NEET re-examination. He also claimed that the question paper for the retest had undergone qualitative changes.BackgroundThe Opposition has consistently raised the NEET paper leak issue since the Monsoon Session began on July 20, demanding accountability from the government. The protests intensified after allegations of irregularities in competitive examinations, eventually leading to the resignation of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.The Centre has since announced a series of measures, including a high-powered task force on examination reforms, while Parliament is considering amendments aimed at strengthening the legal framework against paper leaks.