Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday defended the party's protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, alleging that the Opposition was left with no option after being denied opportunities to raise the NEET-UG 2026 issue inside and outside Parliament.

Priyanka Gandhi, addressing reporters after her release from Mandi Marg police station, said the Congress was demanding justice for students affected by the alleged paper leak, a discussion in Parliament and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

"If the Leader of the Opposition wishes to speak in Parliament, he is not allowed to do so. If we seek permission to stage a protest, that permission is denied. So we went to a place where they least expected us," she said.

She said the Congress would continue to raise the issue wherever necessary, arguing that protesting was a fundamental democratic right.

Gandhi said the demands of students were genuine and that it was the responsibility of elected representatives to amplify their voices.

"What is the problem with listening to the children of our country, the future of our nation? They have a genuine demand. As their representatives, it is our responsibility to raise and empower their voices," she said.

Calling for reforms in the education sector, she said, "Our demand is clear and has remained the same from the beginning. We have to fix the broken education system. Dharmendra Pradhan has to resign. A discussion should be held in Parliament. And the students should be heard."

Taking a swipe at the government, Priyanka Gandhi also questioned its spending priorities, claiming that while loans worth lakhs of crores had been waived for big industrialists, spending on education remained inadequate.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi and several Congress leaders were detained by Delhi Police after staging a sit-in near the Prime Minister's residence.

As police took her into custody, she accused the government of acting out of fear.

"They are cowards. They are scared. We are not scared of them. They are scared of us," she told reporters.

Visuals from the protest showed police personnel carrying Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi towards a police bus as security forces cleared demonstrators gathered near Lok Kalyan Marg. Several Congress MPs and party workers were also detained.

Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the police of manhandling senior party leaders and said the agitation would continue.

"Everything is in front of you. Look at the way our leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, were manhandled. Is this the kind of environment we want in today's country? Are you able to see democracy in the country? We will return to protest here again," he said.

Speaking from inside a police van after being detained, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala described the protest as the beginning of a larger movement against the government over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also criticised the detentions, saying Congress leaders were fighting for justice for students and demanding a discussion on the issue in Parliament.

The detentions came shortly after Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh claimed he had met Rahul Gandhi at the protest site and urged him to end the sit-in.

According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi initially agreed to withdraw the protest if the government accepted a discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament, but later added the resignation of the Union Education Minister as another condition.

The Congress, however, maintained that the Centre must take responsibility for the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and the police action against student protesters. The issue also triggered repeated disruptions in both Houses of Parliament, with the Opposition demanding a debate on the controversy.

- Ends

Published By:

Aprameya Rao

Published On:

Jul 21, 2026 23:38 IST