As Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi led a sit-in staged near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence against police action on agitators during the march to Parliament a day before and over the NEET paper leak, MP Manickam Tagore claimed that party leaders were being detained from the protest site.
Apart from LoP Gandhi, the agitation near the Prime Minister's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, saw the presence of senior Congress leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Manickam Tagore and others. Speaking to IANS, Congress MP Manickam Tagore claimed that party leaders were being detained by the police during the protest.
"Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is fighting for this cause, is himself at the Prime Minister's residence, and 120 MPs are here. We have been stopped by the police...the government is using the police to stop us. We condemn such an action," he said.
He added: "Rahul Gandhi is leading the protest, and both he and Mallikarjun Kharge are fighting this battle. It is a genuine demand, as the students have been mistreated and beaten," he said.
Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat added: "We are here to awaken Prime Minister Modi and protest against the cowardly manner in which the government acted yesterday. The Prime Minister did not make any statement, and we strongly oppose the violence that took place."
Moreover, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh met LoP Gandhi at the site of the sit-in. The two leaders reportedly spoke for several minutes, and their conversation was recorded by a person present at the spot.
During the protest, Rahul Gandhi also demanded the resignations of PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In a post on X, he said: "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," he added.
On Monday, scores of students, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), attempted to march to the Parliament demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the May 3 NEET paper leak.