Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders were detained by police during a sit-in protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence [1].
The demonstration highlights the escalating tension between the opposition and the central government over the integrity of national examinations and the treatment of student activists.
The protest took place on June 5, 2024 [2], at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi [1]. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Mallikarjun Kharge led the action to press the government for answers regarding the alleged NEET exam paper leak [2]. The leaders also protested what they described as a police attack on students who had previously demonstrated against the leak [1].
Police intervened after the sit-in lasted for more than two hours [1]. While some reports indicate that Akhilesh Yadav was among those detained, other accounts state that only Gandhi, Vadra, Kharge, and several Congress MPs were taken into custody [1, 3].
There are conflicting reports regarding the legal status of the police action. Some sources described the event as a detention, while others said the leaders were arrested [2, 4].
The sit-in was intended to bring national attention to the grievances of medical aspirants who believe the paper leak compromised their academic futures. The Congress leaders sought a direct response from the Prime Minister's office regarding the security failures of the examination process [2].
“Rahul Gandhi and several other Congress leaders were detained by police during a sit-in protest”
This incident underscores the strategy of the Congress party to align itself with student grievances to challenge the central government's administrative competence. By staging a protest directly at the Prime Minister's residence, the opposition is attempting to personalize the accountability for the NEET leak, transforming a systemic educational failure into a high-profile political confrontation.
