Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition, met students who had been sitting on a 23-day hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar as part of the protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). During the meeting, Gandhi extended his support to the protesting students and hit out at the Modi government for the ongoing row over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination and concerns over the education system.
Rahul Gandhi in front of the students also continued to call for the removal of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan from the cabinet. He said the students would not accept anything but his resignation from the cabinet.
Gandhi said there were discussions in the government about moving Pradhan to another ministry. But he said that would not placate the protesters who are demanding that the minister leave the government entirely.
“We have come to know that there is talk within the government to move Pradhan to some other ministry. This will not be acceptable. Students are clear that Pradhan will have to go out of the government,” Rahul Gandhi said.
And the Congress leader also criticized Modi's recent social media outreach to young people. Referring to the Prime Minister’s late-night video messages and his appeal for suggestions, Gandhi said students were looking for concrete action, not assurances.
“PM is busy making videos late at night these days. He says he is grateful for suggestions. But students are asking for action, not promises. PM must take action and remove Dharmendra Pradhan,” he said.
The protest has also been about alleged police action against students during earlier demonstrations. Gandhi indicated the injury on the leg of one of the students and demanded accountability for those who were supposedly responsible for the use of force.
“Those who have assaulted our students will have to pay the price. There should be action against those who fired pellets and used lathis on the protesting students,” Gandhi said.
He also repeated his demand for an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguing that the Prime Minister, as the head of the government machinery, should apologise to students who were allegedly assaulted during protests in Delhi.
In a political statement to the Prime Minister, Gandhi said, “Past cannot fight the future,” and described PM Modi as India’s “past” and the protesting students as the country’s future.
Rahul Gandhi maintained that the demands being raised at Jantar Mantar were those of the students themselves and not political demands imposed by the Opposition. He described the demands as “non-negotiable.”
Students protested over alleged exam irregularities and broader issues of accountability and reforms in the education system. The CJP has also called for action against officials who are reported to have done wrong, compensation for families of students who died by suicide after the paper leak scandal, and protection for protesters from legal action.
Neha Bora of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), who participated in the 23-day hunger strike along with other protesters, said it had been a fruitful discussion with Rahul Gandhi. She said the discussion focused on the state of India’s education system and reiterated the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
The meeting comes at the same time that political pressure on the Centre is mounting with student groups, Opposition parties, and protesters demanding accountability for the examination crisis. The government has taken several measures to strengthen the examination system and to stem paper leaks.
As negotiations and protests continue, the demand for the removal of the Education Minister has become one of the most controversial issues in the ongoing friction between the government and student protesters.
