High-Voltage Showdown: Rahul Gandhi Released After Detention Outside PM Residence Over NEET Paper Leak Row
In a major political development in New Delhi, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and several senior Congress leaders were detained by Delhi Police before being released late Tuesday evening. The detention followed a high-voltage sit-in protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, where top opposition figures demanded accountability over the NEET-UG examination controversy and alleged police action against student demonstrators.
Top Leadership Joins Sit-In at Lok Kalyan Marg
The demonstration, which originated as a march from Rajaji Marg, saw key INDIA bloc leaders gather outside the Prime Minister's residence to demand administrative action and ministerial resignations.
Prominent Attendees: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, KC Venugopal, and Pawan Khera actively participated in the sit-in.
Key Demands: The opposition reiterated four primary demands: the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, accountability for police action against student protesters, a formal statement by the Prime Minister in Parliament, and the dropping of charges against detained students.
Security Crackdown: After a three-hour standoff, security personnel forcibly cleared the area, briefly detaining Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and over a hundred parliamentary colleagues.
Event Summary: Lok Kalyan Marg Opposition Protest Primary Trigger : NEET-UG 2026 paper leak row & police action on student protesters Location : Lok Kalyan Marg, New Delhi (Near PM Residence) Key Detainees : Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav, Mallikarjun Kharge Key Demands : Resignation of Education Minister & PM statement in Parliament Security Action : Area cleared by Delhi Police after 3 hours; all leaders subsequently released
Opposition Slams Government; BJP Labels Action 'Politics of Anarchy'
Following his release, Rahul Gandhi took to social media to state that an attack on student rights was an attack on every Indian family, vowing that the fight for youth justice would continue unabated.
"PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time."
— Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
Conversely, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Nabin strongly criticised the sit-in, describing it as "undignified" and a "black day in the history of Indian politics". Nabin alleged that the Congress leadership was shifting goalposts to create public disruption despite the Centre expressing full readiness to conduct a detailed debate on the NEET issue on the floor of Parliament.
