Oppn protests spread after Rahul Gandhi’s detention outside PM’s residence

Political protests spread across several states on Tuesday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other opposition leaders were detained during a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, with the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing the Centre of suppressing democratic dissent.

The surprise protest outside the prime minister's residence was organised to demand the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the police action against students protesting the examination controversy.

Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several opposition leaders sat on a dharna in the high-security zone before police removed and detained them after talks with minister of state in the prime minister's office Jitendra Singh and Union home secretary Govind Mohan failed to persuade the protesters to leave the area. The detained leaders were released later.

The detentions triggered demonstrations in multiple states.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the state Congress described the police action as "arbitrary and illegal", alleging it reflected the BJP-led Union government's "dictatorial mindset". State Congress president Bosiram Siram said the detention of the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and other senior leaders amounted to "a direct assault on India's parliamentary democracy, the Constitution, the rule of law and fundamental rights".

The party expressed solidarity with the detained leaders, students and party workers, demanding the immediate release of all those arrested, the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a comprehensive parliamentary debate on examination irregularities. It also sought the withdrawal of cases registered against students involved in recent protests in Delhi.

In Uttar Pradesh, Congress and Samajwadi Party workers staged demonstrations in Lucknow, Amethi, Barabanki and Jhansi, with police detaining several protesters. Authorities in Lucknow said around 250 to 300 people were taken into preventive custody at Eco Garden, most of whom had been protesting near Atal Chowk.

The Samajwadi Party condemned the detention of its president Akhilesh Yadav, who had joined the protest in Delhi, while Congress workers marched in support of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Protesters accused the government of undermining democratic rights and demanded the immediate release of detained Opposition leaders.

In Madhya Pradesh, Congress legislators led by leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar staged a protest outside the chief minister's office in the assembly premises, while state Congress president Jitu Patwari led demonstrations outside Raj Bhavan. Patwari and several party workers were briefly detained before being released.

With agency inputs

Singhar alleged that the detention of senior Congress leaders exposed the BJP government's "dictatorial" approach and accused the state government of refusing to discuss students' concerns in the Assembly. He also claimed Legislative Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya had insulted protesting students during a heated exchange on the Assembly premises.

West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee also criticised the police action in Delhi, calling it "unacceptable" and expressing her party's support for the opposition's sit-in.

In a post on social media, Banerjee alleged that the Centre had resorted to "police atrocities" against young protesters in Delhi and pledged that the TMC would continue its fight against what she described as the BJP's "dictatorial attitude". She also accused BJP workers of disrupting preparations for the party's Martyrs' Day programme in Kolkata, alleging vandalism and intimidation.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the treatment meted out to Rahul Gandhi undermined parliamentary democracy, arguing that the opposition was an essential constitutional institution whose accountability could not be met with intimidation.

The nationwide protests came a day after large demonstrations near Parliament over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, during which police used force to disperse protesters. The opposition has continued to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a wider debate on reforms to the examination system.

With PTI inputs