NEW DELHI—Indian opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were briefly detained by Delhi Police after staging a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official residence, escalating a confrontation over police action against student demonstrators and demands for accountability over alleged examination irregularities.
The protest took place near Lok Kalyan Marg, where Congress leaders and other opposition figures marched before holding a sit-in that police said was in a high-security area. Officers moved in to disperse the gathering and took several leaders into custody before releasing them later the same day, according to police and opposition party officials.
Congress said the demonstration was intended to protest the police response to student-led protests over alleged irregularities in national entrance examinations and to press demands for Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to answer questions raised by the opposition. The party also called for a parliamentary debate on the issue.
Television footage and photographs from the scene showed police removing protesters from the area as security personnel cleared the route. Some media outlets reported that Rahul Gandhi sustained a minor facial injury during the scuffle, a claim cited by his aides. Authorities had not publicly confirmed any injury.
The detentions drew criticism from Congress and other opposition parties, which described the police action as an attempt to suppress democratic protest. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah condemned the detentions and said elected representatives should be allowed to demonstrate peacefully.
The demonstrations followed broader unrest linked to allegations surrounding examination paper leaks and police action against student protesters. The federal government has defended its handling of the situation, while Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has criticized the opposition's campaign over the issue, according to Indian media reports.
Delhi Police had not announced criminal charges against the detained leaders as of Wednesday. By the end of the day, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and other opposition leaders had been released, while political disputes over the protests and education-related grievances continued.
