NEW DELHI: High political drama unfolded outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday evening as Delhi Police detained Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Opposition MPs after they staged a sit-in demanding action over the alleged NEET paper leak and police crackdown on protesting students.
The protest began near the Lok Kalyan Marg roundabout and quickly turned into a flashpoint between the Congress and the government. The party demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while seeking a discussion in Parliament on the alleged paper leak and police action against students.
The situation escalated shortly after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav arrived at the protest site around 6 pm to express solidarity with the Congress. Moments later, Delhi Police, backed by Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel, moved in to clear the area, triggering chaotic scenes.
As police personnel attempted to remove the protesters, pushing and jostling broke out. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress MPs resisted being taken away, while their security personnel tried to shield them amid the melee.
Congress leaders, exhausted after sitting for over hours in sweltering heat and high humidity, continued raising slogans even as police escorted them towards waiting buses. A tight protective ring was formed around Priyanka Gandhi by her security staff and party leaders as police advanced.
Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal was seen engaged in a heated exchange with police officials, insisting that the protest was peaceful and should be allowed to continue. Despite multiple security layers around the Prime Minister’s residence, several Congress workers managed to breach barricades and join the demonstration.
Police detained the leaders in batches before escorting Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav in separate buses. It took nearly 45 minutes for security personnel to clear the protest site.
For nearly three hours, Congress MPs remained seated on the road outside the Prime Minister’s residence, raising slogans. Following the detentions, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge launched a scathing attack on the Centre, accusing it of stifling democratic dissent. “The tyrannical government is trembling in fear,” Kharge said in a post on X.
Alleging that repeated examination paper leaks had “ruined the education system,” Kharge further claimed the future of millions of students across the country had been put at risk.