New Delhi, July 21 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Congress MPs were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday after they staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, escalating a political confrontation over the police crackdown on student protesters and examination irregularities.
Congress leaders raised slogans, accusing the government of trying to silence students who are simply demanding transparency and fairness in the examination process. As tensions built, union Minister Jitendra Singh arrived to meet Rahul Gandhi outside the PM’s residence, appealing to him to call off the demonstration and assuring him the government was willing to discuss the alleged paper leaks during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi was unsparing in his response:
“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 nor does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament.”
Sharpening his attack, he added, “PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth.”
The Congress said it had conveyed three demands to the Prime Minister’s Office: the immediate resignation of union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a full-fledged discussion in Parliament on examination irregularities and the government’s alleged failure to safeguard students’ future, and the withdrawal of all FIRs registered against students following Monday’s protest in Delhi.
The leaders were detained outside Lok Kalyan Marg and were taken away in separate police buses. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who joined the protest, was also detained.
Before being taken into custody, Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of refusing to answer questions on alleged examination scandals and police action against students, saying the government was “running away from accountability.”
According to Jitendra Singh, Gandhi had initially sought only a parliamentary debate before hardening his position to demand Pradhan’s resignation.
The Congress, however, accused the government of refusing to debate examination-related controversies in Parliament and instead responding with force against peaceful protesters.
The protest led jointly by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Mallikarjun Kharge drew a heavyweight show of Congress strength, including K.C. Venugopal, Pawan Khera, Deepender Singh Hooda, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and chief ministers from other Congress-ruled states.
The demonstration came a day after police used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of students marching on Parliament under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), protesting the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination controversies.
After she was detainecd, Priyanka Gandhi alleged that a teenage girl was seriously injured during the police action.
“A 16-year-old girl has suffered a head injury. These are young students. BJP wants to have a debate on Vande Mataram. Brutally beating students who are fed up with paper leaks is an insult to Vande Mataram and to our motherland,” she said.
Congress leaders staged a sit-in before being detained, raising slogans against the government and demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities.
The Centre has maintained that it is committed to ensuring transparency in the examination system and has said discussions on the issue should take place in accordance with parliamentary procedures.UNI XC AAB
