Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi Detained During Protest, Escorted Away in Police Bus

Rahul Gandhi Dragged Away As Congress Protest Near PM’s Residence Ends In Detentions

One of the most dramatic confrontations of the Monsoon Session unfolded in New Delhi on Tuesday as Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi led a protest march towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence over alleged paper leaks and police action against student protesters. The demonstration ended with Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several Congress leaders being detained and taken away in police buses after refusing to disperse.

The Congress leadership, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, assembled at Kharge’s residence on Rajaji Marg before marching towards 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the Prime Minister’s official residence. The protesters staged a sit-in outside the high-security zone, demanding accountability over the handling of the NEET paper leak controversy and the police crackdown on demonstrators a day earlier.

In a rare development, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh reached the protest site and held talks with Rahul Gandhi in an attempt to defuse the standoff. However, the discussions failed to produce a breakthrough.

Police later moved in to clear the protest. Rahul Gandhi, who remained seated on the road refusing to leave, was surrounded by police personnel before being forcibly removed. Visuals from the scene showed him being dragged away while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other Congress MPs were also detained and escorted into buses.

Addressing reporters after the police action, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of suppressing democratic dissent.

“Democracy in India is happening right now,” he said.

Before being detained, Gandhi had appealed to citizens to join the protest, alleging that the government’s response to the paper leak issue amounted to an attack on India’s youth.

“An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family. PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time,” he said in a post on X.

Talks Fail

Congress leaders said the meeting with Jitendra Singh ended without any agreement.

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the government wanted the party to withdraw the protest without accepting its demands, which include Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and a discussion on paper leaks in Parliament.

Jitendra Singh later claimed Rahul Gandhi had initially agreed to end the protest if Parliament discussed the issue, but later added a fresh demand seeking Pradhan’s resignation.

Police began removing protesters shortly after Singh’s statement.

Protest Triggered By Monday Crackdown

Tuesday’s demonstration followed Monday’s student-led march to Parliament over alleged examination paper leaks. Protesters claimed police used lathis and tear gas against demonstrators, leaving several injured.

Delhi Police, however, alleged that sections of the crowd turned violent, attacked security personnel with stones, vandalised police vehicles and injured 118 police personnel, including senior officers.

Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress protest sought accountability for the police action and demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers for the brutalities against young students yesterday… The PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” he posted on X.

As the protest gathered momentum, Delhi Police deployed additional security around the Prime Minister’s residence. The BJP accused the Congress of compromising the Prime Minister’s security, while Congress leaders insisted the protest remained peaceful.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore questioned how the Opposition could raise its concerns if Parliament was repeatedly disrupted.

Opposition Leaders Join

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) MP Supriya Sule later joined the protest in a show of Opposition solidarity.

However, the Aam Aadmi Party distanced itself from the demonstration, alleging that the Congress protest diverted attention from the ongoing student agitation over paper leaks.

Parliament Deadlock Continues

The paper leak issue dominated the first two days of the Monsoon Session, with repeated disruptions leading to early adjournments in both Houses.

Speaking outside Parliament before the protest, Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Opposition leaders were not allowed to raise the issue of police action against students.

Meanwhile, the government maintained it was prepared to discuss concerns over examination irregularities but would not tolerate violence during protests.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also referred to the NEET paper leak during the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting, stressing that preventing such incidents was a national responsibility. According to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, the Prime Minister said the government acted swiftly after reports of the leak emerged, leading to arrests and action against those responsible, while urging all parties to work constructively in Parliament for the country’s youth.