Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav, during a protest outside the PM's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, demanding the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in New Delhi on July 21, 2026. Photo: @samajwadiparty X/ANI Photo

Opposition parties need to step up pressure on the government both within and outside the Parliament, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday (July 22, 2026), even as he reassured all allies at an INDIA bloc meeting that the Congress believes in better coordination between them.

His remarks come a day after the Congress dharna at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s doorstep, with several allies reportedly upset that they were not kept in the loop about that plan.

At a press conference later in the evening, when asked about the Opposition’s future strategy and whether the Parliament would function or not, Mr. Gandhi said, “This is a decision for the meeting tomorrow morning. There is a meeting of Opposition leaders, it is disrespectful for me to decide for them. What they will decide we will agree with them,” Mr. Gandhi said.

Out of the loop

Though several Opposition parties were upset that they were not informed prior to the Congress’s protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), sources said that none of them aired their displeasure at the meeting on Wednesday (July 22, 2026); instead, a few privately conveyed it to the Congress. According to sources, Mr. Gandhi reassured the allies that it was not a deliberate move to keep them out of the loop; instead, he said, the decision was taken suddenly and could not be communicated in time.

Mr. Gandhi, according to sources, emphasised that the government has increasingly made Parliament irrelevant by not allowing Opposition MPs to speak. The Opposition has to adapt its strategy to the changed circumstances and go to the people, he said.

The meeting was thinly attended, though the protest that followed on the Parliament House premises was well attended.

Changing plans

Sources said that, on Tuesday (July 21, 2026), the Congress had initially invited several Opposition leaders to come to party president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence at 3 p.m. Though this invitation was later rescinded, it was explained that there had been a change of plans.

The plans for the protest at the Prime Minister’s doorstep were kept secret and were known only to four or five top Congress leaders. All Congress MPs were then asked to gather at Mr. Kharge’s residence at 10 Rajaji Marg at 3:00 p.m. for his 84th birthday and a “cake-cutting” ceremony. Upon reaching there, Mr. Gandhi informed the assembled MPs that they would march to the rear entrance of the Prime Minister’s residence, about 100 metres away. Without waiting for a response from them, he set off on foot, with the MPs following.

Allies at the dharna

At around 5 p.m., the Congress had reached out to other Opposition leaders. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was quick to react. He reached the protest site and was detained along with Mr. Gandhi. Sources said many other leaders also attempted to reach the protest site, but could not get there in time due to heavy traffic. The Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghosh was one such leader.

The Left MPs, meanwhile, declined the invitation. According to sources, Left leaders were upset because, at the Monday morning meeting of the INDIA bloc, where many plans were mooted to take the protest outside of the Parliament, they had been the ones to suggest a march to the PM’s residence.

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule joined the Congress protest, while her father Sharad Pawar visited the students protesting at Jantar Mantar. On Wednesday morning, however, the two had met Mr. Modi, after which Ms. Sule both publicly and privately denied speculation about the NCP(SP) supporting the government. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray also visited the students at Jantar Mantar.

Published - July 22, 2026 10:42 pm IST