Rahul, Priyanka Detained During Congress Protest Over NEET Paper Leak

NEW DELHI, July 22 : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained by Delhi Police on Tuesday while leading a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence, demanding accountability over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Congress march, which began from Rajaji Marg towards Lok Kalyan Marg, was stopped by police as protesters attempted to move towards the Prime Minister’s residence. Several Congress MPs, leaders, and workers were also detained during the demonstration. As she was being taken into custody, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the government of suppressing dissent. “They are cowards. They are scared. We are not scared of them. They are scared of us,” she told reporters. Visuals from the protest showed police personnel carrying Rahul Gandhi to a police vehicle after demonstrators refused to disperse. Speaking from inside a police van, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala described the protest as the beginning of a nationwide movement against the government over the NEET controversy. He alleged that repeated examination paper leaks had destroyed the future of millions of students and said the Congress would continue its agitation until those responsible were held accountable. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar termed the detention of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi “unfortunate” and said the Congress was fighting for justice for students. He asserted that the party’s movement would continue until the government addressed the concerns over the examination controversy. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of changing his stand during discussions with government representatives near the protest site. In a post on X, Singh said he and Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan were deputed by the government to engage with the Congress leadership. According to him, Rahul Gandhi initially agreed to end the protest if the government accepted the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament. Singh claimed that after the government agreed, Gandhi added a fresh demand seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The Union Minister further alleged that Rahul Gandhi refused to vacate the protest site despite being informed that demonstrations were not permitted there. He also maintained that the government was ready to discuss all NEET-related issues in Parliament and claimed that the Congress had not submitted a formal notice seeking such a debate under parliamentary procedures. The protest came amid escalating political confrontation over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and police action against student protesters. Opposition parties repeatedly disrupted Parliament demanding a discussion on the issue, while the Congress accused the Centre of failing to safeguard the integrity of the examination process and of using excessive force against protesting students.