Opposition MPs Protest in Parliament Over Alleged Police Actions and Ram Temple Donation Theft

Opposition Members of Parliament, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest within the Parliament House complex on Thursday (July 30, 2026) against what they described as police excesses against student protesters and the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The lawmakers gathered in front of the Makar Dwar of Parliament, raising slogans such as 'chadhawa chor, gaddi chor' (donation thief, vehicle thief), 'grih mantri sadan mein aao' (Home Minister come to the House), and 'who gave the order'. They carried a donation box and were seen placing money inside it to symbolise the alleged theft of temple donations.

Besides Ms. Gandhi, the protest included MPs from the Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress's Sagarika Ghose, and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Mahua Maji, among others. The MPs stood behind a large banner reading 'who gave the order', in an apparent reference to the directive to security personnel regarding the use of force against student protesters demonstrating against the NEET paper leak.

The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA bloc) has vowed to hold the government accountable on two issues: the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple and the use of what it termed 'brutal force' against students during protests held last week.

The student protests, which erupted after allegations of a paper leak in the NEET examination, saw clashes with police in several cities. The opposition has questioned the government's handling of the situation, demanding a thorough investigation into both the exam irregularities and the police response.

The Ram temple donation theft allegation has also sparked controversy, with opposition leaders calling for a probe into the management of funds collected at the temple. The government has not yet commented on these specific allegations.