- Gandhi urges Modi to resign “for ruining the future of India’s youth”.
- Sixty protesters hurt in clashes with security forces in New Delhi.
- Protest organizers denounce “heavy-handedness” by authorities.
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, the main opposition leader in India, called for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resign on Tuesday amid police actions against student protests demanding education reforms.
Gandhi stated on social media that Modi must step down “for destroying the future of India’s youth,” as he led a march with other MPs toward the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi.
“The government refuses to accept responsibility or debate the issue in Parliament,” Gandhi said, who is the opposition leader in the lower house.
Later, Gandhi staged a sit-in outside Modi’s residence, chanting “We want justice” and “Down with Modi.”
Several hours later, AFP reporters saw Gandhi and fellow parliamentarians being loaded into a bus and taken away from the scene.
This comes after police reported that 60 protesters were injured during clashes with security personnel in central Delhi on Monday, marking the largest street demonstration in the city in nearly five years.
Thousands had gathered demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in response to an online campaign by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).
Authorities used tear gas and batons against demonstrators, who fought back with stones. Police also reported injuries to at least 118 police officers during the skirmish.
“What happened yesterday is a violation of our Constitution,” said Sandeep Dixit, a senior Congress leader, to AFP.
“After that, no one with integrity can remain silent.”
The CJP vowed to continue pushing for Pradhan’s removal, with hundreds of protesters remaining at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site on Tuesday, many advocating broader education reforms.
The movement has garnered millions of followers online since its May launch, posing one of the strongest challenges to Hindu-nationalist leader Modi since he secured his third term in 2024.
‘Shameful day’
“We won’t back down. Pradhan needs to be removed,” said CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka on social media.
Founder Abhijeet Dipke urged protesters to stay resilient.
“They want to crush our spirits,” he stated from atop a truck. “Don’t let them silence you.”
Organizers criticized the authorities’ heavy-handed tactics and claimed that hundreds of protesters were hurt.
“It’s a dishonorable chapter in Indian democracy that peaceful students rallying for a genuine cause were brutalized by police,” Ranka told AFP.
Ranka, who met with senior minister JP Nadda Monday, said the government had yet to reply to their demands.
Protesters vowed to persist.
“We’re more fearless now,” said 25-year-old law student Chandra Pratap Sishwi.
“Seeing police beat people like that made my blood boil.”
Parliament adjourned Tuesday following opposition calls for a debate on the alleged “police brutality against students”.
Despite rapid economic growth, millions in the country still face unemployment and poverty, fueling widespread frustration.
The protests follow a series of scandalous exam incidents that have undermined trust in India’s testing system.
Last month, 2.2 million medical aspirants retook a high-stakes exam after the original test was canceled due to a question leak.
This was on top of a scandal involving online grading of nearly two million high school exams.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju defended the government, stating that after the leaks, authorities acted swiftly by arresting several suspects.
He mentioned Modi’s directive for a foolproof system to prevent future irregularities during a secret meeting with allies this week.
Prime Minister Modi has yet to publicly address the protests.