Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and party MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday during a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi, according to NDTV.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was also detained and removed from the protest site.
The Congress stepped up its campaign against the central government by marching towards the Prime Minister’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, a day after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest over alleged NEET and other examination paper leaks.
The march was led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The leaders started the march from Kharge’s residence on Rajaji Marg, demanding accountability over police action against protesters during Monday’s CJP march to Parliament.
Police detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several opposition leaders around 6:40pm after Gandhi reportedly refused to leave the protest site.
Before his detention, Rahul Gandhi urged people to join the protest, describing the police action against students as “an attack on every Indian family”.
He accused the government of avoiding accountability and demanded justice for students.
The protest took an unexpected turn when Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited the site and held talks with Rahul Gandhi.
Congress leaders said the discussions ended without any breakthrough. Singh later claimed Gandhi had initially agreed to call off the protest if the government allowed a parliamentary discussion on NEET and other examination paper leaks, but later added a demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Congress did not immediately respond to Singh’s claim before police dispersed the protest.
Rahul Gandhi later intensified his criticism of the government, demanding the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
He alleged that the government was unwilling to discuss the issue in Parliament or take responsibility for police action against students.
The Congress protest came a day after the CJP’s march to Parliament, where protesters, mostly students and young people, were met with baton charges and tear gas from police and the Rapid Action Force.
The CJP claimed several protesters were injured, while Delhi Police alleged demonstrators turned violent, attacked security personnel with stones, vandalised police vehicles and injured 118 police personnel, including senior officers.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Congress of compromising the Prime Minister’s security by attempting to march towards his residence.
Congress leaders, however, said the protest was peaceful and claimed they had no alternative venue to raise their demands.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule joined the protest in solidarity.
The Aam Aadmi Party stayed away, alleging that the Congress demonstration diverted attention from the CJP’s agitation, highlighting differences within the opposition over its strategy to challenge the government.
