Police violence
NEW DELHI, 21 Jul: Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, were forcibly removed and detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday after staging a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, escalating a political confrontation over the alleged police crackdown on students protesting the NEET paper leak issue.
The protest was organised a day after thousands of students led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) marched towards the Parliament, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. Student groups alleged that police used lathi charges and tear gas to disperse protesters, resulting in injuries and detentions.
The opposition’s dharna near the prime minister’s residence demanded accountability for the alleged police excesses against students, an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The surprise demonstration in the high-security zone prompted the Centre to send Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to negotiate with the protesting leaders. According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi initially agreed to end the protest if the government assured a discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament. Singh said the government accepted the demand but alleged that Gandhi subsequently added a fresh condition seeking the resignation of the education minister. The Congress has not accepted this version of events.
Talks failed to break the impasse, and police moved in during the evening to remove the protesters. Congress leaders said Gandhi was taken to Chhatrasal Stadium after being detained. Television visuals showed police personnel carrying Gandhi from the protest site as he resisted removal. His aides alleged that he sustained a minor injury below his eye as well as injuries to his hands and legs during the detention.
As police cleared the site, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen clinging to the door of a police vehicle while other Members of Parliament and opposition leaders were also detained. Several MPs alleged that police used force while dispersing the demonstration.
Before the sit-in, Gandhi and Vadra had met students injured during Monday’s protest. Gandhi accused the government of responding to peaceful student demonstrations with violence, saying that “an attack on students is an attack on every Indian family.” He demanded that the prime minister apologise for the alleged police brutality and resign along with the union home minister.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the government had “unleashed lathicharge” on students seeking justice, refused a parliamentary debate on the issue and later used force to remove opposition MPs from their protest. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the government’s actions as authoritarian, while party leader Pawan Khera accused police of “brutally” removing opposition leaders.
Student protest organisers also alleged a coordinated crackdown. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed that the government invited his delegation for talks while simultaneously dispersing demonstrators outside. He alleged that members of the delegation were made to wait for hours, their mobile phones were seized, and two leaders were effectively confined during the negotiations, while police carried out baton charges against students. These allegations have not been independently verified.
Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal also criticised the police response, alleging that officers used excessive force against students, including women, without provocation. The party announced a helpline to provide medical assistance to injured protesters and legal aid to families of detained students.