Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday intensified his attack on the Narendra Modi-led government, demanding that the Prime Minister apologise to students over the police action during the “Chalo Sansad” protest in New Delhi. Addressing a press conference, Gandhi condemned the use of tear gas, lathi charges and the alleged assault on protesting students, many of whom he claimed were school and college students. He questioned why peaceful demonstrators were met with force, saying students were only demanding accountability for issues affecting their future.

Referring to the Opposition’s protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence, Gandhi said he and several leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Akhilesh Yadav, were detained by Delhi Police while demanding accountability over the country’s education system. He remarked that being pushed and dragged would not stop him from raising students’ concerns. Gandhi also claimed that some police personnel privately expressed frustration with the current government, alleging they urged him to remove the BJP from power as they escorted him away.

Launching a broader criticism of the education system, Gandhi alleged that 152 examination paper leaks had occurred over the past decade without any convictions. He accused the government of failing to protect students and their families, claiming the repeated leaks had shattered trust in public examinations. He further alleged that around 7.5 crore students had been affected by the crisis and argued that families collectively spend nearly ₹1.32 lakh crore annually on examinations, calling for greater accountability and urgent reforms in the education sector.