SRINAGAR: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after they staged a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence over the police action against students protesting the NEET issue.
The protest began around 3.30 pm, with Rahul Gandhi leading a sit-in along with several Congress leaders, including the chief ministers of Karnataka and Kerala. The opposition accused the government of suppressing student protests and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
As police moved in to clear the protest site, dramatic scenes unfolded with security personnel physically removing the leaders. Rahul Gandhi resisted being taken away and was seen lying on the ground before being lifted by police personnel. According to his aides, he sustained a minor injury below one eye during the scuffle.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also detained after she attempted to resist police action, at one point holding onto the door of a police bus even after it had started moving. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was among the opposition leaders taken into custody.
The Congress said the protest was aimed at seeking justice for students who were allegedly subjected to police action during demonstrations a day earlier. The party has also been pressing for a discussion on the NEET controversy in Parliament and has demanded the removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Following his detention, Rahul Gandhi posted on social media: “Modi Ji, try every pressure, exert all your might—this fight for justice for students will neither stop nor be halted.”
मोदी जी, हर ज़ोर आज़मा लो, सारी ताकत लगा लो – छात्रों के इंसाफ की ये लड़ाई अब रोके न रुकेगी। pic.twitter.com/suXh8LkWzh
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 21, 2026
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge strongly criticised the government’s handling of the protests, accusing it of suppressing democratic dissent. In a post on X, Kharge alleged that the government had failed to address concerns over examination paper leaks, police action against students and the opposition’s demand for a parliamentary debate on the issue.
He also condemned the detention of opposition MPs during the demonstration, asking, “What kind of democracy is this?”
The Delhi Police did not immediately issue a detailed statement on the detentions.
