Our students are on streets: Rahul Gandhi leads INDIA bloc march to Gandhi Smriti

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday led a delegation of INDIA bloc MPs towards Gandhi Smriti in central Delhi in a show of solidarity with students protesting over the NEET-UG paper leak. A convoy of three buses carrying the MPs was briefly stopped outside Gandhi's residence by Delhi Police barricades and police vehicles before being allowed to proceed.Holding a copy of the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi led the march to Gandhi Smriti, where Mahatma Gandhi spent his last few days before being assassinated by Nathuram Godse on January 30, 1948. He paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and unfurled a flag of India at the march. Congress leaders accompanied him carrying placards on paper leaks and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Many switched on their mobile phone flashlights during the march as a mark of protest.Senior Congress and INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, gathered at Rahul Gandhi's residence at 5, Sunehri Bagh Road before boarding three buses for Gandhi Smriti at Tees January Marg. The Opposition said the visit was intended to pay tribute to students who died by suicide following the paper leak and to express solidarity with those injured during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests.Soon after the convoy left Rahul Gandhi's residence, the buses moved only a few metres before being stopped. A Delhi Police bus was parked in front of the convoy, while two other police buses were stationed behind it. Barricades were placed across the route as police repeatedly made announcements over loudspeakers citing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Security was tightened again further along the route as the march headed towards the high-security Lutyens' Delhi zone."Our students are on the streets, so we too have come out on the streets. We were heading to Gandhi Smriti, but we were stopped. All our MPs wanted to go there, but permission was denied. They have parked buses here and we are unable to move ahead," Rahul Gandhi told reporters after the convoy was halted. Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit also questioned the police action. "Those who are allowed to enter Parliament, can they not go to Gandhi Smriti? The government has parked its buses here even though it knew we were leaving from this point. Why these barricades? Are we goons or criminals?" he added.After a brief standoff, police opened the barricades and allowed the convoy to proceed towards Gandhi Smriti. Rahul Gandhi's convoy slowly moved through central Delhi, though security remained exceptionally tight throughout the route.The Opposition's march came as the CJP has been spearheading protests over the NEET row and examination irregularities since June 6. It has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan be immediately sacked and Rs 1 crore compensation be given to the families of those who died by suicide after the NEET paper leak.The march also came days after Rahul Gandhi was detained near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence while leading MPs in support of the CJP-led agitation. Rahul Gandhi also suffered a minor nose injury as he was confronted and dragged away by the police.HEAVY SECURITY, RAF DEPLOYMENT AT GANDHI SMRITIThe Delhi Police had stepped up security after receiving advance information about the Opposition's programme several hours earlier.Large contingents of Delhi Police, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and other paramilitary personnel were deployed outside Rahul Gandhi's residence and along the route leading to Gandhi Smriti. Visuals from the spot showed RAF personnel in full riot gear carrying batons, helmets and protective equipment.As the convoy advanced, security was intensified again around 100 metres ahead, where RAF personnel prepared to form a human chain to prevent further movement towards the high-security zone leading to Home Minister Amit Shah's residence.Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen near the driver's seat of the lead bus, interacting with security personnel and discussing the route, while Rahul Gandhi remained inside the bus monitoring the situation with other Opposition leaders.The elaborate security arrangements also disrupted traffic across parts of Lutyens' Delhi, with congestion reported around Sunehri Bagh Road, Tees January Marg and adjoining areas.'STUDENTS ARE NOT ALONE'Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi said the INDIA bloc's visit to Gandhi Smriti was meant to honour students who had lost their lives following the NEET paper leak and stand with those injured during the protests."Right now, MPs and leaders of the INDIA alliance are peacefully heading to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg. We go to remember the students we lost -- the children driven to take their own lives after the NEET paper leak," he wrote on X."And we go to stand with the students who lie injured today — beaten for peacefully demanding justice and accountability. India's students are not alone. The entire Opposition stands with them and their demands," he said.The Congress said the MPs planned to travel by bus to Gandhi Smriti and then walk to the memorial to pay tribute. Opposition leaders had earlier also discussed visiting Rajghat as part of the programme.STRATEGY MEETING BEFORE MARCHBefore the march to Gandhi Smriti began, senior Congress and INDIA bloc leaders held a strategy meeting at Rahul Gandhi's residence to discuss raising the issue of the alleged police action against students in Parliament and on the streets.Those present included Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leaders P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, along with MPs from the RJD, TMC, CPI(M), RSP and other INDIA bloc constituents.Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended mobile internet services within a 1.5-km radius of Jantar Mantar from 4 pm to midnight as protests over the NEET paper leak continued in the national capital.- EndsPublished By: Prateek ChakrabortyPublished On: Jul 23, 2026 19:29 IST