Police Remove Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav and Other Opposition Leaders From Protest Near Modi Residence
New Delhi–Police removed Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and several other opposition lawmakers from a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence Tuesday after demonstrators demanded action over alleged examination paper leaks and police treatment of student protesters.
Rahul Gandhi, the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, sat on the road and refused to leave before police officers escorted him into a vehicle along with other opposition leaders. The demonstration followed a student march toward Parliament on Monday that prompted police intervention.
Earlier Tuesday, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi led party workers from Kharge’s residence toward the prime minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg.
Before being detained, Rahul Gandhi urged people to join the protest.
“An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family,” he said, accusing the government of failing to address students’ concerns.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi at the protest site, but Congress leaders said the talks ended without an agreement. The party demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a parliamentary debate on the alleged examination paper leaks.
Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the party would continue protesting until its demands were met.
Singh said the government was prepared to discuss education-related issues in Parliament but accused Congress of later making Pradhan’s resignation a precondition for talks.
Congress also demanded that Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologize or resign over the police response to Monday’s student march.
The protest drew support from several opposition figures, including Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar MP Supriya Sule, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, NCP-SP President Sharad Pawar and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. (Source: IANS)
