Rahul Gandhi stages unprecedented sit-in near Prime Minister's residence; detained by police
New Delhi: Delhi Police detained Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders on Tuesday, hours after they staged a surprise sit-in protest near the Prime Minister's residence in violation of prohibitory orders.
Jitendra Singh visited protest site to speak with Rahul
In a dramatic sequence of events lasting over three hours, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the PM's Office, visited the protest site to speak with Rahul Gandhi about ending the demonstration before he was detained. Shortly thereafter, the police removed Mr. Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav—who had joined the sit-in—and took them away in police vehicles. When Mr. Gandhi resisted being removed, police personnel physically lifted him and carried him to the vehicle.
Priyanka, other Cong leaders were also removed
Congress General Secretary and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with other party leaders, were also removed from the site by the police and taken away in their vehicles.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had issued a call on social media urging people to join his sit-in protest in the capital to oppose the police action against demonstrators who were demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the question paper leak issue.
Gandhi and other party leaders had marched from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's residence to reach the vicinity of the Prime Minister's residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
In a subsequent statement, Jitendra Singh said that opposition leader Rahul Gandhi had demanded a parliamentary discussion on the NEET exam and related issues—a request the government had accepted—but later added a condition demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Protesting Cong leaders also demanded resignation of PM
It is noteworthy that the protesting Congress leaders were also demanding the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Describing the police action against the youth during a protest outside Parliament on Monday as an attack on their future, Congress leaders demanded government accountability and a parliamentary discussion on the matter.
Shameful: Khera
Pawan Khera, head of the Congress's communications department, termed the forcible removal of Gandhi from the protest site as shameful. Sharing a photo of the police action on X, he wrote, "Witness Modi's dictatorship. This is how an opposition leader is being treated. Shameful!" He added that they were not even being informed which police station Mr. Gandhi was being taken to after his detention.
Modi govt cannot run away from accountability: Rahul
Before being detained, Gandhi said, "We have come to the Prime Minister's residence to demand accountability for the blood of the students. The Modi government, which is guilty of wronging the youth, cannot run away from accountability and a discussion in Parliament. An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family. Prime Minister Modi thinks he will get away without answering or facing consequences, but that will not happen this time."
Rahul stated, "The voice of India's students cannot be ignored. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and Dharmendra Pradhan must resign for ruining the future of the country's youth and for the cruelty inflicted upon them."
Congress party stands firmly with the students: Kharge
Kharge affirmed that the Congress party stands firmly with the students' rights and their legitimate demands. He said, "This cowardly, dictatorial government must answer for the lathi-charge and use of force. Modi and Shah are guilty of wronging our youth; they must resign."
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary (Organization) K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, MPs Nasir Hussain, Manickam Tagore, Imran Masood, and Deepender Singh Hooda, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, party leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Rajeev Shukla, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, and Gurdeep Singh Sappal, along with a large number of party workers, were present at the protest held outside the Prime Minister's residence.