Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and members of the INDIA bloc led a protest march toward Gandhi Smriti on Thursday to support students [1, 2].
The demonstration follows a growing controversy over the NEET paper-leak, which has sparked nationwide student protests and intensified pressure on the government to provide accountability for the examination breach [4, 5].
Security was tightened in central Delhi starting July 21 [2]. Police deployed heavy personnel and installed barricades outside Gandhi's residence and near Jantar Mantar to control the movement of demonstrators [1, 2, 3]. These measures followed earlier clashes in which several police personnel were injured [2].
Gandhi said, "No one can stop us from standing with students" [1]. He said the opposition demands an apology from the government and a formal debate on the NEET issue within Parliament [2].
The INDIA bloc's mobilization suggests an effort to elevate the student-led grievances into a broader political movement. The security buildup was designed to prevent the march from reaching key government installations, a tactic that has become common during high-profile opposition protests in the capital [2, 3].
CJP spokesperson Abhijeet Dipke said the agitation will no longer remain limited to a few locations and that the group is prepared for a wider movement [3].
“No one can stop us from standing with students.”
The alignment of the INDIA bloc with student demonstrators over the NEET leak transforms a specific educational grievance into a national political flashpoint. By utilizing high-visibility marches and demanding parliamentary debates, the opposition is attempting to frame the government's handling of the exam as a broader failure of institutional integrity.
