Congress Protest at PM Residence Over NEET Row Ends With Police Detentions

New Delhi, July 22, 2026 The political confrontation over the alleged NEET paper leaks intensified in the national capital as Congress leaders escalated pressure on the Centre by staging a protest march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence. The demonstration followed a day after the Cockroach Janta Party-led march to Parliament and centred on demands for accountability over the handling of student-related issues and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi led party workers from Kharge's residence at 10, Rajaji Marg to the Prime Minister's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday. Although sources indicated Rahul Gandhi intended to continue the protest overnight, he, along with Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several other leaders, was removed by the police around 6.40 pm. Gandhi, surrounded by police personnel while sitting on the road, refused to leave before eventually being taken away in a bus. Earlier, he appealed to the public through a social media post, saying, "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. I ask every patriotic Indian who believes our students deserve justice - join us in dharna in front of the Prime Minister's residence. The voice of India's students will not be ignored." In a rare development during the protest, Union Minister Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi at the demonstration site. Congress leaders later said the discussion did not lead to any agreement. Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said, "They wanted us to withdraw the protest and we did not agree because our demands were not met. We want Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and a discussion in Parliament on the paper leaks. More MPs, more Congress workers and more common people will join our protest." However, Singh later claimed on X that Rahul Gandhi had initially agreed to end the protest if the government allowed a discussion on NEET and paper leaks in Parliament but later added the resignation of the Education Minister as another condition. Soon after Singh's post, police detained several Congress workers and leaders, including at least one Member of Parliament. The protest came a day after the Cockroach Janta Party's march to Parliament, where demonstrators, mainly students and young people, were lathicharged and tear-gassed by police and the Rapid Action Force. The organisation alleged that many protesters were injured during the action, keeping the spotlight firmly on the growing political battle over the NEET paper leak controversy.