Rahul Gandhi leads protest near PM house over CJP crackdown, detained along with other Congress leaders

The Congress party stepped up its attack on Union government on Tuesday with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi holding a sit-in protest outside Prime Minister's Narendra Modi's official residence – 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. Gandhi refused to leave the protest despite Centre sending Union Minister to convince the Congress leaders.

Gandhi was later detained by Delhi Police, along with other Congress leaders.

Gandhi, accompanied by sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress leaders, reached the Prime Minister’s address at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. The protesting Congress leaders raised slogans, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

This is for the first time that any opposition leader has held a protest outside PM's high-security official residence. This comes a day after thousands of people took part in march to Parliament organised by Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) over NEET irregularities, with several confrontations breaking out between protesters and the police in central Delhi.

Jitendra Singh reaches out to Rahul, leaves.

“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability or does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. The police has faced flak for excesses during the protest that was blocked from marching ahead to the Parliament from Jantar Mantar.

Paramilitary forces have reached Lok Kalyan Marg, where Congress leaders are holding a protest. Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan arrived at 7 LKM to convince Congress leaders to call off their protest outside the residence of PM Modi. But the two returned.

Some reports suggested that Rahul Gandhi has conveyed to Jitendra Singh the set of demands. 1) Resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and 2) A detailed discussion on “police brutality on students” in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in both the Houses of Parliament.

Rahul asks people to join the protest

Rahul Gandhi has called people to join protest outside the residence of PM Modi in solidarity with students.

“Prime Minister Modi thinks he can escape without giving answers, without facing any consequences - he won't be able to, not at all this time. I appeal to every patriotic Indian who believes that our students should get justice - join our dharna in front of the Prime Minister's residence. The voice of India's students cannot be ignored. An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family,” Gandhi said in a post on X.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of using police force to suppress students raising genuine concerns over the education and examination systems.

“The entire country knows the education system and testing system are broken; it has ceased to exist. The testing system has been hollowed out by termites. That is all they are saying. We have been saying it too. I have been giving presentation after presentation about this. Why is the Prime Minister silent?” Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament were the Congress party has demanded a debate on police action during CJP protest during the Monsoon Session which began on Monday.

Rahul decided to move to PM house after Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla refused to allow a debate on the CJP protest and police action, according to reports. Both the houses were adjourned due to opposition protests over a host of issues including NEET protests

Condemning the police action on Monday, Rahul Gandhi said the response was "un-Indian", and that students deserved better treatment.

"The point is this is no way to treat the young people of this country. The young people of this country do not have opportunities; all the doors are closed; one door is open for competitive exams, which is also destroyed. These students here are complaining not just about the education system but their future," he said.

118 cops injured, say Delhi police

More than 118 police personnel, including several senior officers, were injured and around 70 protesters were detained on Monday, during Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) "Sansad Chalo" protest march in central Delhi area on Monday, police said.

Delhi Police released a statement mentioning these figures and their account, accusing protesters of displaying ‘unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour’ during the protest and attacking security personnel, damaging government vehicles and public property.

Police have also registered multiple FIRs in connection with Monday's protest.

The CJP, a fledgling outfit born out of an online campaign, had called for a protest march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament to press for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leaks and other exam irregularities. The CJP had started its protest at Jantar Mantar on 20 June.

Monday’s march call had the support of many opposition party leaders and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk,who has joined the CJP on hunger strike on 28 June. Wangchuk was moved by Delhi police in plain clothes to Safdarjung hospital in South Delhi. Wangchuk would now be shifted to private hospital in accordance with court directives.