Actor and BJP MP Ravi Kishan has landed in controversy after making a verbal slip while speaking about the NEET paper leak case outside Parliament House. While demanding strict action against those accused in the leak, the actor mistakenly referred to the NEET exam paper as a "newspaper," a remark that went viral and drew criticism on social media.
Addressing the media on Tuesday (July 21), Ravi Kishan spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on the issue and stressed that those involved in the paper leak should face severe punishment.
He said in Hindi, "The 13 criminals (NEET paper leak case) who have been caught, they should be given the harshest punishment. By hiring the top lawyers, we will ensure they get the strictest sentence so that in the future, no one in India dares to play with the lives of children or has the audacity to leak the NEET newspaper."
The use of "NEET newspaper" instead of "NEET question paper" caught the attention of netizens, with many criticising the actor over the slip-up, especially considering the seriousness of the issue.
Continuing his statement, Ravi Kishan added, "He (PM Modi) also stated that every effort will be made to ensure they are punished as soon as possible, which will send a strong message to the children of the future."
He further spoke about the Prime Minister's message on maintaining dialogue despite political differences.
Netizens react to Ravi Kishan's remark
The clip soon spread across social media, where several users criticised the BJP MP over his choice of words.
One user wrote, "BJP MP Ravi Kishan is calling NEET exam paper the "NEET Akhbaar" (newspaper). He doesn't even know the difference between an exam question paper and a newspaper."
Another commented, "From when NEET became a newspaper? Dude, this is Parliament and not the set of your movie. There is no retake here. So, be careful when you open your mouth."
A third user wrote, "And still many people in our country are justifying that leaders of current govt cannot do any mistake as Education Minister didn't."
Another social media user added, "A lawmaker who can't tell the difference between a newspaper and an exam paper is now expected to shape education policy. And we're supposed to believe the students are the problem."
"What is he doing here? Last time I checked, he was on a reality show called ALLIANCE on Amazon Prime trying to launch his daughter," another comment read.
Ravi Kishan has addressed his viral slip-ups before
This is not the first time Ravi Kishan has gone viral for a verbal mistake. During the trailer launch of his film Maa Behen, the actor had spoken about becoming the subject of memes over similar slip-ups.
He had said, "I swear on Mahadev, mujhe nahin pata main kyun viral ho jata hun. Maine 'home from work' bola tha, 'jaldi the late' bola tha. Main Parliament ja raha tha, 'work from home' karna tha, 'home from work' nikal gaya."
He further added, "Mujhe log aise dekhte hain ki main kisi alag hi space se aaya hoon. Main aadmi hoon aur main aapki hi tarah galti karta hun. Mujhe aap log viral kyun karte ho, mujhe nahi pata."
