On 21 July 2026, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, staged a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence at Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. The demonstration was organised in response to police action against students protesting the alleged NEET paper leak. Within hours, Delhi Police detained several senior Congress leaders and moved them from the protest site.According to The Indian Express, the Congress leadership decided to hold the sit-in after a large assembly of youth protested in central Delhi the previous day. The party aimed to assert its role in the movement against examination irregularities, especially as other opposition groups had rallied behind activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The protest was planned discreetly, with MPs only informed of the march to the Prime Minister’s residence after gathering at Kharge’s home.As reported by Financial Express, the protest followed Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s visit to injured students at a Delhi hospital. Shortly after the sit-in began, Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh and Home Secretary Govind Mohan met Gandhi, urging him to end the protest. Congress leaders stated that talks were inconclusive and insisted on continuing the dharna.As highlighted by Hindustan Times, the protest occurred amid heightened security in central Delhi, with Section 163 in force and barricades around key government buildings. The previous day’s CJP-led march had seen police use lathi-charge and tear gas, resulting in injuries among protesters and police personnel. Congress’s demonstration was part of a broader opposition response to these events.As noted in an article by The Hindu, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) criticised the Congress protest, alleging it was allowed by the government to undermine the ongoing CJP agitation at Jantar Mantar. AAP leaders questioned why Rahul Gandhi was permitted to protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence while CJP supporters faced restrictions and a lack of dialogue from authorities.Coverage revealed that AAP leaders described the government’s swift engagement with the Congress protest as a “jugalbandi” and contrasted it with the prolonged standoff with CJP and Sonam Wangchuk. The Congress, meanwhile, reiterated its demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and justice for students affected by the NEET controversy.“An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family. Prime Minister Modi thinks he can escape without giving answers, without facing any consequences – he won’t be able to, not at all this time,” Rahul Gandhi stated on social media during the protest.Reporting indicated that the Congress protest coincided with thousands of people regrouping at the CJP’s Jantar Mantar protest site. Despite inclement weather, crowds continued to gather, and other opposition leaders, including those from AAP and NCP (SP), visited the site to express solidarity with the student movement.Government representatives, including Jitendra Singh, stated that the administration was prepared to discuss NEET-related issues in Parliament. However, analysis showed that the Congress remained firm on its demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Home Minister Amit Shah, citing the police action against protesters.As details emerged, the protest ended with the detention of Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other senior Congress leaders. Congress MPs maintained that their demonstration was peaceful and aimed at demanding accountability for the alleged use of force against students and the need for a parliamentary debate on examination irregularities.“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The government doesn’t want to take any accountability or have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said.Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.