New Delhi [India], July 21 – Indian opposition Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi took their protest to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence on Tuesday, escalating political pressure on the government a day after Delhi Police cracked down on thousands of students during the “Sansad Chalo” march, as demonstrations demanding education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued to gather momentum.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal, Pawan Khera and other party leaders staged a sit-in outside Lok Kalyan Marg demanding the resignation of both Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the government’s handling of the student movement.
The protest marked a significant escalation in the political response after Monday’s police action against demonstrators who were marching to Parliament to press for reforms to India’s education and examination system.
Addressing reporters, Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of remaining silent after the police action.
“Modi ji has not even apologised for what happened yesterday. The youth are protesting against the education and testing system. The whole country knows that the education and testing system is hollowed out by termites. Why is the Prime Minister silent? He should apologise to the students and stop this nonsense of thrashing students,” Gandhi said.
Congress also said Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K.C. Venugopal met students who were injured during Monday’s police action.
The party said students protesting against alleged failures in the education system were met with police force instead of a response to their demands, and reiterated its call for the education minister to resign.
Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav also criticised the government’s handling of the protests. She said opposition parties had sought a discussion on the issue in Parliament but the request was rejected by the Speaker.
Yadav alleged that students had gathered to demand education reforms and accountability following the NEET paper leak and the reported suicides of 20 students. Instead of addressing those demands, she said, authorities used lathis against demonstrators.
“I believe the government’s actions effectively shattered the hopes and aspirations of these young people,” she said, urging students to seek change through the democratic process.
The protests come as the student-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), launched in May has emerged as a major force on social media, attracting millions of followers and vowing to continue demonstrations until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
On Monday, Delhi Police used tear gas and batons after thousands of demonstrators tried to breach security barricades surrounding the protest site in central New Delhi, marking one of the most serious confrontations in the movement’s campaign against Modi’s government. Despite the crackdown, many protesters continued marching toward Parliament in small groups.
Separately, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday allowed activist Sonam Wangchuk to be shifted from hospital to Medanta Hospital, following a plea seeking treatment at a hospital of his choice.
The opposition’s decision to get down on the streets signals that the confrontation over the student movement is widening, with political parties now seeking to sustain pressure on the Modi government beyond the legislature.
