- Police cracked down on students protesting NEET irregularities Monday.
- Congress leaders then marched to PM’s residence demanding accountability.
- Union Minister Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi, urging protest conclusion.
In a dramatic political development, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by the Prime Minister’s Secretary, met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday in an apparent bid to persuade him to call off the party’s protest over the police crackdown on students during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Chalo Sansad’ march.
#WATCH | Delhi: Union Minister Jitendra Singh reaches Lok Kalyan Marg and speaks with Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi over Congress’s ongoing protest here. pic.twitter.com/Qw91kxoURi
— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2026
The intervention came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led a march from Kharge’s residence at 10, Rajaji Marg to the Prime Minister’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, demanding accountability for the police action and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Also Read: WATCH: Rahul, Priyanka Protest Against Lathi Charge On Students Near PM Residence; Several Congress Leaders Detained
Congress Escalates Protest, Targets PM Modi And Amit Shah
Seeking to intensify pressure on the Centre, Rahul Gandhi said the Congress had marched to the Prime Minister’s residence because the Opposition was allegedly being denied an opportunity to raise the issue in Parliament.
In a post on X, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha accused the government of refusing to take responsibility for the alleged police excesses and demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability, nor does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” Rahul Gandhi wrote.
Jitendra Singh Holds Talks With Rahul Gandhi
As the protest continued outside the Prime Minister’s residence, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh arrived at the site along with the Prime Minister’s Secretary and held discussions with Rahul Gandhi.
The two were seen speaking for several minutes, with the government delegation appearing to urge the Congress leader to end the protest. The conversation was recorded by people present at the site.
The meeting came amid heightened political tensions following Monday’s clashes between protesters and security personnel in the national capital.
Congress Says Parliament Not Allowing Discussion
Congress leaders maintained that they were forced to take the protest to the Prime Minister’s residence because they were allegedly not being allowed to discuss the issue in Parliament.
“The Prime Minister is not in Parliament. He left Parliament in a very short time yesterday as well. Where do we go to be heard? The protest is being held peacefully,” Congress MP Manickam Tagore said.
Before the march, Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of suppressing the Opposition’s voice.
“Today, we wanted to raise the issue of the students who were assaulted. They were lathi-charged, tear-gassed, beaten up, and many of them are now in hospitals. We wanted to raise our voice in Parliament against this injustice. We had sought time to speak, but after uttering just one word, the microphone was switched off. If the Opposition is not allowed to speak in Parliament, then where should we go?” he said.
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Monday’s Protest Triggered Political Storm
The Congress protest followed Monday’s CJP-led ‘Chalo Sansad’ march, during which protesters, largely students and young people, clashed with the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force while demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities.
The CJP alleged that several protesters were injured during the police action.
Delhi Police, however, accused the protesters of “unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour”, alleging that they attacked police personnel with stones, vandalised police vehicles and resorted to large-scale violence. According to the police, 118 personnel, including several senior officers, were injured.
