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Sit-in at PM residence
Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress members were forcibly removed by Indian police from a protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, as the Cockroach Janta Party movement pressed demands tied to exam leaks and education grievances.
“New Delhi, India – Blood spots on the walls, overturned barricades, shattered mirrors and sandals strewn across the road”
The protests followed violent clashes between police and youth demonstrators in New Delhi on Monday that led to numerous arrests, and thousands later gathered at Jantar Mantar in the capital to voice discontent.
In the run-up to the sit-in, Rahul Gandhi called for the resignations of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saying the government did not want to take accountability or hold a debate in Parliament.
The NBC News report described protesters returning to the streets of the capital after facing police batons and tear gas, while the NPR report said the Cockroach movement vowed to continue its protest in New Delhi and refused to leave its sit-in site.
Rahul Gandhi also said, “We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday,” as the demonstrations escalated and Parliament remained deadlocked for a second consecutive day over the NEET row.
Clashes, detentions, and claims
As the Cockroach Janta Party protests spread from Jantar Mantar toward Parliament, the movement drew support from opposition parties and intensified political pressure on Modi’s government, with police using batons and tear gas to disperse crowds.
The protests were framed by organizers as a response to alleged police action against students, while Delhi Police said demonstrators breached security barriers and damaged public property, and the NPR report said Delhi Police used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands as they tried to march toward Parliament.
Rahul Gandhi’s sit-in outside Modi’s residence triggered a sharper confrontation, and the NDTV report quoted AAP leader Somnath Bharti saying, “Rahul Gandhi is trying to weaken this issue. The BJP and Congress have joined hands to undermine this issue.”
In contrast, the India News Network account said an official statement on X highlighted that police were compelled to respond to mounting public pressure regarding the unlawful detention of students.
The BBC described the movement’s origins and demands, noting that the CJP is calling for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign over the education-system crisis and alleged exam paper leaks.
What’s at stake next
The protests’ stated end point remained the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with the NPR report saying protesters would stay at Jantar Mantar until Pradhan resigned over alleged failures in India’s examination system.
“Why are thousands protesting for education reform in India”
DW reported that the CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said protesters would not march to Parliament again, while the movement vowed to continue until the education minister resigns, and it said activist Sonam Wangchuk was moved to a private hospital.
The BBC explained that the NEET exam was central to the movement, saying nearly 2.28 million candidates sat the exam on 3 May and that it was cancelled after allegations that the questions had been leaked, while it also said “some 20 students died by suicide” after the exam was cancelled.
In the political fallout, the Gulf News report said Modi defended his government’s handling of the examination paper leak crisis and urged “the strictest possible punishment” for those involved, while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said 13 people were arrested and sent to jail.
As the protests continued under heavy police presence, the India News Network account said the Cockroach Janta Party announced a planned protest outside police headquarters would be cancelled after all detained students from the previous day’s confrontations were released, calling it a significant win.
