Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Shri Rahul Gandhi lead Congress protest near PM Modi’s residence and demands Prime Minister, Home Minister’s resignation New Delhi: Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi on July 21, 2026, led a protest by Congress MPs near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, demanding his resignation over the police brutality on peacefully protesting students.

AICC General Secretary and Member of Parliament Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, joined by several Party MPs and leaders, staged a dharna near the PM’s residence. In a social media post, Shri Rahul Gandhi said that an attack on students was an attack on every Indian family. "PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time," Shri Rahul Gandhi wrote, urging every patriotic Indian who believes students deserve justice to join the dharna outside the Prime Minister's residence. He asserted that the voice of India's students will not be ignored.

Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi accused the Centre of suppressing the voices of protesting students, demanded an apology from Prime Minister for the police action against them, and called for the resignation of both the Prime Minister and the Union Home-Minister, holding them responsible for the brutal crackdown and destroying the future of India’s youth. “PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth”, he asserted.

Earlier in the morning, addressing reporters in the Parliament House precinct, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi also said that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had informed Opposition leaders that he would need the government’s approval before allowing a discussion in the House on the students’ issue. “We went to the Speaker and said that we wanted a discussion on the students’ issue. He told us that for a discussion, he has to ask the government. The Speaker is telling us that to debate in Parliament, he has to take permission from the government,” Shri Rahul Gandhi stated. Describing the police action against protesting students as “completely un-Indian”, Shri Rahul Gandhi said that the issue concerned the future of the country’s youth and accused the Prime Minister of remaining silent despite the developments. “Modi ji has not even apologised for what happened yesterday. Students are protesting over the education and testing system. The entire country knows that the education system and testing system are broken. The testing system has been hollowed out by termites,” he remarked. He said that Congress had repeatedly raised concerns over the irregularities in the examination system and questioned why the Prime Minister had not responded to the students’ grievances. Responding to a question on Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s statement that the Prime Minister had expressed concern for students during the NDA meeting, Shri Rahul Gandhi said that the real issue was that this was no way to treat the young people of the country. He added that the issue was not merely about examinations, but also about the lack of opportunities for the young people. “The youth of this country do not have opportunities. All the doors are closed. The only door that remains open is competitive examinations, and that door too has been destroyed,” he said. He noted that students were deeply concerned about their future and said that the country’s education system had been taken over by the RSS. He also accused the government of benefitting industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani through policies that left ordinary youth without opportunities. “Dharmendra Pradhan is an intermediary and he should resign. But he did not beat up the students. The Home Minister has that responsibility, so he should resign. The Home Minister reports to the Prime Minister, so he should resign too,” Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi demanded. Police and Security Personnel misbehaved and manhandled the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Police forcibly removed Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi of the Congress and other MPs, and detained them. Earlier, Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi accompanied by Congress general secretaries Shri K.C. Venugopal and Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, visited RML Hospital to meet students injured in the lathi charge and inquired about their condition.

Congress President accuses government of blocking debate on education crisis

New Delhi: Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Shri Mallikarjun Kharge on July 21, 2026, accused the government of preventing Parliament from discussing the police action against protesting students, saying it was suppressing both the Opposition and the voices of young people. Addressing reporters in the Parliament House precinct, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge pointed out that several students were injured in the lathi charge and the use of tear gas, with some requiring hospitalisation. He said that the Opposition had sought a discussion in Parliament on the issue but was not allowed to raise it. Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge observed that the government was unwilling to permit a debate on a matter concerning students from across the country who had gathered to voice their grievances. “If there is no debate in a democracy and the Opposition is not allowed to speak, then where should we raise these issues?” he questioned the government. The government is creating a situation of anarchy and then using force, lathi charges and imprisonment to suppress people. It is not the Opposition, students or unemployed youth who are creating anarchy,” he warned.