Opposition MPs Rally at Gandhi Smriti in Solidarity with NEET Protesters, Pay Homage to Deceased Students
Several leaders of the Congress and INDIA bloc parties on Thursday (July 23, 2026) paid homage to students who died in the wake of the NEET paper leaks. The opposition leaders reiterated their support for the demands of protesting students, who have been agitating against alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam.
The gathering began at the residence of Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Sunehri Bagh Road. From there, Mr. Gandhi led a group of opposition MPs to Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg, where they paid their respects with folded hands and sang the national anthem. Some MPs also lit torches on their mobile phones.
Police had initially placed barricades on Sunehri Bagh Road to prevent large numbers of Congress and Youth Congress workers from moving towards Tees January Marg. However, after some time, the barricades were removed, allowing Mr. Gandhi and the MPs to proceed. They were later stopped near the residence of Home Minister Amit Shah, with police citing Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which prohibits the assembly of five or more persons in the area. Eventually, police permitted the MPs to continue to Tees January Marg.
In a post on X, Mr. Gandhi said, 'Right now, MPs and leaders of the INDIA bloc 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 added, '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.'
In a video message from the bus, Mr. Gandhi accused the government of obstructing their march: 'In solidarity with the students, we wanted to take the opposition MPs to India Gate. But they refused. Then, we wanted to take them to Tees January Marg, Gandhi ji's assassination spot. Now, they have put this bus in front of us so that we can't get there. They are doing this drama.' He said the government was 'scared' of the opposition's support for the students.
The opposition MPs earlier deliberated on their strategy to raise the issue of alleged police brutality from the streets to Parliament. A source indicated that Mr. Gandhi addressed the MPs on how to intensify pressure on the government regarding student issues.
Among those present at Mr. Gandhi's residence were Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and K.C. Venugopal, senior leaders P. Chidambaram, Pramod Tiwari, K. Suresh, Kumari Selja, and Priniti Shinde. Leaders from allied parties included RJD's Sanjay Yadav, Sudhakar Singh, and Misa Bharti; CPI-M's John Brittas; RSP's N.K. Premachandran; and TMC's Mahua Moitra and Saugata Roy.
