Top News

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the Congress decided to stage a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence after the government allegedly refused to allow a debate in Parliament on the police action against students protesting over the NEET paper leak.

Addressing the media, Rahul Gandhi said he had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla earlier in the day and requested that the Opposition be allowed to discuss the issue in Parliament.

"This morning I met the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and told him it was important that we be allowed to debate what happened to the students the previous day. The Speaker said he needed to take permission from the government, but it became very clear to us in the hours that followed that the government had no interest in holding a debate."

भारत के छात्रों और प्रधानमंत्री को मेरा सीधा संदेश... pic.twitter.com/pgZZHLLz8h

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 21, 2026

He said the Congress then decided to hold a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence to draw national attention to what had happened to the students.

"We decided to stage a dharna outside the Prime Minister's residence so that the issue concerning students, which is the most important issue for the country, and what was done to them, receives national attention."

Questioning the state of the country's education system, Rahul Gandhi said paper leaks and rising education costs had become serious concerns.

"Why is the Indian education system collapsing? Why are papers leaking? Why is education so expensive in India? Why do families have to financially ruin themselves to educate their children? These are legitimate questions, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking them."

Congress Lists Three Key Demands

Rahul Gandhi said the students' movement had three major demands:

• The resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• Action against those responsible for allegedly assaulting and humiliating students, along with the withdrawal of all cases registered against the protesters.
• A discussion on the issue in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha so that the Opposition could present its views.

Congress Escalates Protest

Seeking to intensify pressure on the Centre, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress had marched to the Prime Minister's residence because the Opposition was allegedly being denied an opportunity to raise the issue in Parliament.

In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the government of refusing to take responsibility for the alleged police excesses and demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"We have marched to PM Modi's house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn't want to take any accountability, nor does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India's youth," Rahul Gandhi wrote.