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Gandhi detained at Modi home
Police detained Rahul Gandhi during a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday as student-led “Cockroach” protests against the government continued to grow.
“Police have detained Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as the student-led “Cockroach” protests against the government persist and expand, despite a harsh crackdown by authorities”
The protests were tied to demands for education reforms and greater government accountability after Monday’s clashes, when police used tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators marching towards Parliament.
In a statement posted on X, Gandhi said, "We have marched to PM Modi's house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday."
The BBC reported that on Tuesday Gandhi led members of his Congress party in a march to Modi’s house, saying the government did not want to take accountability or hold a debate in Parliament.
The BBC also said the previous day’s violence left at least 60 protesters wounded, with police saying 118 of their personnel were injured and 70 protesters detained.
Competing claims and quotes
As police forcibly removed Gandhi and other opposition leaders, Al Jazeera reported that Gandhi called for the resignation of Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before being bundled into a vehicle.
Al Jazeera quoted Sharma describing the scene as “really chaotic, right outside the prime minister’s residence where Gandhi had publicly called for people to assemble,” while a later post asserted Gandhi showed signs of injury.
The BBC framed the protests as continuing for a second day at Jantar Mantar, with thousands saying they would stay until the education minister resigns over alleged failures in India’s examination system.
In the same BBC report, Rahul Gandhi said the students’ demands were “legitimate” and described Modi as “the most anti-youth prime minister India has ever had”.
The BBC also reported that Central Delhi saw police tear down the stage and makeshift tents at the main protest venue, with police and the Modi government not commenting on the use of sticks and tear gas against protesters.
What’s at stake next
The protests’ momentum is linked to the Cockroach Janta Party’s demands for education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, with the movement camped at Jantar Mantar and continuing under heavy police presence.
“What you need to know - Police forcibly remove Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders from a protest outside PM Narendra Modi's residence - The protesters are calling for Modi and his home minister, Amit Shah, to step down over a police crackdown against protesters on Monday - The mostly young protesters have been calling for the resignation of India's education minister over medical exam paper leaks - Modi tells MPs from his ruling coalition that strong action was taken against those involved in the leaks - Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke says protesters will not march to the parliament again to protest demonstrators against alleged 'police brutality' - The CJP vows to continue the protest until the education minister resigns - Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for 24 days in support of the CJP's demands, is moved to a private hospital Here are the latest developments from India on Tuesday, July 21, 2026: Tired of missing our real-time updates”
The BBC said protesters had been camped for the past month at Jantar Mantar, a 300-year-old observatory in Delhi, and that activist Sonam Wangchuk joined them on 28 June to begin an indefinite hunger strike in support of the demands.
The BBC reported that Health Minister JP Nadda met some CJP leaders and said, "I have requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy," while CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said the 10-minute meeting ended with a promise but no concrete assurances.
In parallel, Al Jazeera reported that the picket outside Modi’s residence was called to protest the earlier aggressive response to the student protests, which demand educational reform and greater government accountability.
Al Jazeera also said Delhi police reported nearly 180 people injured on Monday, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters, as the confrontation strengthened resolve among participants like Sona Bisht, who said, "And till the time our demands are met, we will not move from here".
