‘Power does not last forever’: Rahul Gandhi’s warning to police after tear gas, lathi-charge on NEET protesters
NEW DELHI: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday warned police officers that ‘power does not last forever’ and ‘accountability will certainly be enforced’, saying the Constitution, not the government is their ‘master’.His remarks came after police used tear gas and lathi-charged protesters during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) march towards Parliament over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.In a post on X, Rahul said peaceful protest was a fundamental right and warned officials against ‘blindly following orders’ to act against students.Delhi Police used tear gas and mild force to disperse protesters who attempted to march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session. The protest was organised by the CJP, which has been demanding accountability over the alleged examination irregularities and the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.In his post on X, Congress MP wrote, “Peaceful protest is an inviolable and fundamental right.”Addressing police personnel and government officials, he added, “Every police officer and government employee blindly following orders to attack India’s innocent students should keep this in mind: The Constitution is your master. Power does not last forever. Accountability will certainly be enforced.” Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha LoP also shared a video message in which he criticised the police action against the protesters and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being ‘the most anti-youth Prime Minister in India’s history.’He said the students protesting in Delhi were not criminals but were demanding a fair and functioning education system.”Tear-gassing students, lathi-charging students is not democratic. It’s not India’s way and it is not the way this should be done. They have legitimate demands. The prime minister should accept these demands and do something about it,” Rahul said in the video.He also alleged that repeated paper leaks had affected millions of students and claimed the government had failed to hold those responsible accountable.The remarks came after police cleared the month-long protest site at Jantar Mantar by Monday evening following clashes during the march towards Parliament. The stage, tents and other structures at the site were dismantled, while police and paramilitary personnel remained deployed in the area.Despite the crackdown, protesters continued gathering on nearby roads and said the agitation would continue until their demands, including the resignation of the education minister, were met. Several protesters alleged they were injured in the police action, while others claimed they were briefly held inside Metro stations and faced restrictions on access to water during the protest.The protest was launched by the CJP over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and examination irregularities. Thousands of demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament on Monday, but security personnel stopped them near Parliament Street, leading to clashes and the use of tear gas and lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
