Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi detained during Congress protest

NEW DELHI: Indian opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were detained by police during a Congress Party protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in New Delhi over alleged police action against students.

Congress leaders staged the demonstration to protest what they described as police brutality against students and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the handling of the issue.

Police later moved to disperse the protesters and detained Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and several other Congress leaders, according to local media reports.

Before his detention, Rahul Gandhi condemned what he described as excessive police force against unarmed Congress workers and students. He alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had gained undue influence over India’s education system and said students protesting in New Delhi were raising legitimate concerns about their future and the state of education in the country.

He also criticized the use of tear gas and baton charges against demonstrators, calling the police action “shameful” and “undemocratic.”

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court declined an urgent hearing on a petition challenging the alleged police violence during the student protest. Indian media reported that the court scheduled the matter for a regular hearing on Wednesday and remarked that the judiciary should not be unnecessarily drawn into the issue.

Videos and images circulating on social media purportedly show clashes between police and demonstrators during protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, where thousands of students had gathered to press their demands.