High Drama in Delhi: Rahul Gandhi, Opposition leaders detained outside PM's Residence ; Centre claims Rahul Gandhi ‘Changed Goalposts’ on debate; Pics Inside
Jitendra Singh accuses Rahul Gandhi of 'changing goalposts'; Congress demands Education Minister's resignation as protests over paper leak rock Delhi
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, July 21, 2026: The political battle over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy intensified on Tuesday, with senior Congress and Opposition leaders staging a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, leading to mass detentions by Delhi Police, while the Centre maintained that it was fully prepared to discuss the issue in Parliament.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K.C. Venugopal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, and several other Opposition leaders participated in the demonstration at Lok Kalyan Marg, demanding accountability over the alleged paper leak and action against those responsible.
As protesters attempted to march towards the Prime Minister's residence, Delhi Police stopped them with heavy barricading. Rahul Gandhi briefly sat and lay on the road in protest before he and several Opposition MPs were detained and taken to Chhatrasal Stadium.
Several Punjab Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, MPs Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Gurjeet Singh Aujla, were also detained during the protest.
Centre says it agreed to Parliament debate
Amid the political standoff, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Dr Jitendra Singh said the government had agreed to the Opposition's initial demand for a discussion on NEET in Parliament but accused Rahul Gandhi of changing his stand after receiving the assurance.
Addressing reporters after meeting Rahul Gandhi at the protest site, Singh said the government delegation, accompanied by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, was sent to persuade the protesters to shift the debate from the streets to Parliament.
According to Singh, Rahul Gandhi had initially conveyed that if the government agreed to discuss the NEET issue and concerns of protesting students in Parliament, the Congress would immediately withdraw its protest.
He said the matter was discussed with the government's top leadership, following which he returned with the assurance that the Centre had no objection to holding a comprehensive debate on NEET and related issues in Parliament.
However, Singh alleged that Rahul Gandhi subsequently introduced a new demand seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before ending the protest.
Accusing the Congress leader of "changing the goalposts", Singh said it was unfortunate for the Leader of the Opposition to alter his demands after the government had accepted the original proposal.
He further asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already made it clear that strict action would be taken against those responsible for examination irregularities and paper leaks, adding that the government would not tolerate injustice against students.
Congress presses for Minister's resignation
The Congress, however, maintained that repeated paper leak incidents had shattered the confidence of students across the country and demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said attacks on students amounted to attacks on every Indian family and urged citizens to join the protest demanding justice for students.
The Opposition also sought a statement from the Union Home Minister on police action against student protesters and demanded a full discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament.
Parliament witnesses fresh disruptions
The confrontation outside Parliament coincided with disruptions inside both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, where Opposition members demanded an immediate debate on the NEET controversy and pressed for the resignation of the Education Minister.
The repeated protests led to disruptions in parliamentary proceedings for the second consecutive day of the Monsoon Session.
CJP withdraws planned protest
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) called off its proposed protest outside the Delhi Police Headquarters after lawyers informed the party that all detained protesters had been released.
In a statement on social media, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the dharna had been withdrawn following the release of detainees and appealed to supporters to maintain peace.
Political confrontation set to continue
With the Centre insisting it is ready for a parliamentary debate and the Opposition refusing to back down without further action, including the resignation of the Education Minister, the NEET controversy is expected to remain at the centre of political and parliamentary confrontation in the days ahead.