VIEWS NOW — SPECIAL REPORT
NEW DELHI — In a day of intense political drama in the national capital, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were forcibly removed and detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after staging an over two-hour sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.
The Opposition march was triggered by Monday’s heavy-handed police action against student demonstrators protesting examination irregularities and alleged paper leaks in the NEET-UG exams. The protesters were demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, alongside executive accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
High-Security Standoff at Lok Kalyan Marg
The protest began early Tuesday afternoon when senior Congress leaders—including Party President Mallikarjun Kharge, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan—marched towards the high-security zone surrounding the Prime Minister’s official residence.
Prevented by heavy police barricading from reaching the gate, Rahul Gandhi and fellow parliamentarians sat directly on the tarmac to launch a impromptu dharna. In visual scenes broadcast nationwide, several Congress leaders locked hands using zip-ties to resist police removal.
When security personnel eventually moved in to break up the demonstration:
Physical Resistance: Rahul Gandhi lay down on the pavement to resist police removal. Aides confirmed he sustained a minor facial injury under his eye during the scuffle.
Police Action: Officers physically lifted Opposition leaders into awaiting police buses. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen hanging onto the vehicle door in protest as the bus pulled away towards Model Town police station.
"An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family. PM Modi believes he can get away without answers or consequences. He cannot," Rahul Gandhi posted on X during the sit-in.
Negotiations Fail as Govt and Opposition Clash
The demonstration prompted the Centre to send Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan to the spot to engage directly with the Leader of the Opposition.
However, talks broke down quickly:
| Issue | Government Position (MoS Jitendra Singh) | Opposition Position (Congress / INDIA Block) |
| Parliamentary Debate | Govt agreed to hold a debate on NEET irregularities. | Demands an immediate, unrestricted debate under formal rules on police brutality & paper leaks. |
| Cabinet Accountability | Termed new demands for minister resignations as shifting goalposts. | Insists Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign immediately. |
| Public Order | Alleged sit-in at non-designated venue caused severe public inconvenience. | Asserts protesting near the PM's residence is a democratic right against student oppression. |
Escalation Across State Capitals
Following news of the top leadership’s detention in New Delhi, Congress cadres launched coordinated demonstrations across major cities:
Lucknow: Protesters clashed with security personnel near government offices, burning effigies of ministry officials.
Bengaluru: Demonstrations led by state party units paralyzed traffic across key arterial routes in the central business district.
Jaipur: Youth Congress workers organized citywide rallies seeking executive accountability for student welfare.
Delhi Police dismissed rumors that detained leaders and activists were denied access to legal counsel, releasing an official statement calling the allegations "misleading and incorrect."
With Parliament facing repeated adjournments over the issue, the standoff signals an intensifying political battle that bridges parliamentary demands with wide-scale street agitation.
