Police detained Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday evening while he participated in a sit-in demonstration outside the residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The action followed Gandhi’s public call for the resignation of Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in response to the government’s aggressive response to ongoing student-led protests.
Gandhi and other opposition figures, including his sister Priyanka Gandhi, a fellow member of the Indian National Congress party, were taken into custody and transported to a nearby police station. Eyewitness accounts and media footage documented the detainment as chaotic, with police removing Gandhi from the protest site as he lay on the ground. Reports later emerged suggesting Gandhi sustained injuries during his detention.
The detention occurred amid the continuation of the “Cockroach” movement, a youth-driven protest campaign that has expanded beyond students to include professionals and families. The movement emerged two months earlier following a Supreme Court judge’s controversial characterization of India’s youth and has grown into a significant challenge to the Modi government. Thousands gathered at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, demanding educational system reforms and accountability from government officials.
The crackdown intensified on Monday when police employed tear gas, canes, and batons against thousands of protesters marching toward parliament, resulting in approximately 180 reported injuries across both protester and security personnel. The use of force generated substantial public sympathy and social media outrage. Prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose three-week hunger strike became emblematic of the movement, was forcibly hospitalized by police during the escalation.
Despite the aggressive police response, movement supporters remained determined to continue demonstrations. Organizers and participating protesters stated their intention to maintain the sit-in until education system demands were addressed by the government, indicating the protests’ persistence as a major public challenge to the administration’s authority.