Rahul Gandhi arrested during protest in front of Modi’s official residence

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was arrested on Tuesday after leading a protest march towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence, as demonstrators intensified their campaign against the government’s handling of student protests demanding reforms to the country’s education system.

According to Indian media reports, Delhi Police detained Rahul Gandhi along with his sister and Congress lawmaker Priyanka Gandhi, as well as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, after the protest was stopped near the prime minister’s residence.

The Congress leader had called on PM Modi to resign, accusing his government of failing the country’s youth and responding to peaceful student demonstrations with force. In a message shared on social media before his detention, Gandhi said the prime minister should step down for “destroying the future of India’s youth.”

Television footage and eyewitness accounts showed police personnel attempting to remove Gandhi from the protest site, where he briefly resisted arrest. Reports said he sustained minor injuries during the scuffle.

Addressing reporters before being taken into custody, Gandhi criticised the government for refusing to accept responsibility for the unrest and avoiding a parliamentary debate on the issue.

The latest confrontation follows violent clashes in central New Delhi a day earlier, when security forces dispersed demonstrators protesting alleged irregularities in the education system. Police said dozens of people were injured during Monday’s unrest.

The protests have been driven by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) movement, an online campaign that has rapidly gained nationwide support since its launch in May. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and broader reforms to India’s examination and education system.

Despite the arrests, CJP organisers vowed to continue their demonstrations, insisting the campaign would not end until their demands are met. Movement leaders urged supporters to remain peaceful and maintain pressure on the government.

The demonstrations have emerged as one of the most significant public challenges to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration since he began his third term in office in 2024.