Rahul Gandhi's protest over NEET leak: government says demands shifted, detention follows

The Union government on Tuesday stated that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi changed his demands during negotiations to end his sit-in protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence, leading to his detention by Delhi Police. The protest was over the NEET paper leak.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh, the government's interlocutor, said he initially approached Gandhi politely. Gandhi agreed to suspend the protest if the government assured a parliamentary discussion on the NEET issue. Singh conveyed this to the top leadership, who agreed. However, upon returning, Gandhi added a demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Singh said he told Gandhi that changing demands mid-negotiation was not appropriate. After this, Singh left, and Gandhi along with other opposition leaders including Akhilesh Yadav and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were detained.

Government sources said the venue—directly outside the PM's residence—prompted quick engagement, as it is not a designated protest site and is a high-security zone.

Political reactions followed. AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the government was trying to counter the sustained protest by the CJP (backed by AAP) by facilitating Gandhi's sit-in. The Congress reacted angrily. BJP's Amit Malviya said the protests were never about students but about political relevance, and claimed that only the BJP stands for students.