Maharashtra Congress leaders on Wednesday, 22 July staged a protest march in South Mumbai, rallying against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the police lathi charge on students agitating against the NEET paper leak and the detention of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi, and other party MPs in Delhi. The march, which drew senior party figures and social activists, was intercepted by police before it could reach the BJP office.

The March and Police Interception

Protesters set off from Gandhi Bhavan with the stated intent of marching to the BJP office in South Mumbai and presenting a copy of the Constitution. Police detained Congress leaders and office-bearers near Regal Cinema, cutting the march short. Demonstrators raised slogans including 'Modi Hatav, Desh Bachav' (Remove Modi, Save the Country) and 'Jab jab Modi darta hai, police ko aage karta hai' (Whenever Modi fears, he hides behind the police).

The protest was led by Congress State President Harshwardhan Sapkal and included Legislature Party Leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress Working Committee member and former minister Naseem Khan, MLA Bhai Jagtap, former MP Bhalchandra Mungekar, former MP Husain Dalwai, and senior social activist Tushar Gandhi, among others.

What Congress Alleges

Sapkal alleged that the Modi government's mishandling of the NEET question paper leak and broader examination irregularities has, in his words, 'plunged the futures of lakhs of students into darkness.' He charged that students who took to the streets faced a 'brutal police lathi charge directed by the Modi-Shah administration.'

Sapkal also alleged that exam papers have leaked on as many as 71 occasions, framing the NEET episode as part of a systemic pattern rather than an isolated failure. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not delivered on promises of creating two crore jobs every year, compounding youth grievances.

He noted that Rahul Gandhi had sought a parliamentary discussion on exam reform and paper leaks, a request the government reportedly declined. When Gandhi subsequently protested near the Prime Minister's residence in solidarity with students, he and other Congress MPs were allegedly detained for three hours — an action Sapkal characterised as authoritarian.

The 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' Campaign

Congress and Rahul Gandhi launched the 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' (Echo of Students) campaign to amplify student demands. Thousands of students gathered in Delhi as part of the campaign, but according to Sapkal, police deployed heavy force against the demonstrators, including young women.

This comes amid a widening national debate over examination integrity, with the NEET paper leak drawing protests across multiple states and opposition parties demanding accountability from the Centre.

Congress's Core Demands

The party put forward three immediate demands: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, an urgent parliamentary session on examination irregularities, and the withdrawal of all FIRs and cases registered against protesting students. Sapkal also demanded a public apology from PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for police action in Delhi.

Sapkal confirmed that Congress supports the Maharashtra Bandh called by the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) on Thursday. On the subject of Sharad Pawar's meeting with PM Modi held the same day, Sapkal declined to comment, saying only Pawar and his party's leaders could speak to that matter.

What Comes Next

Sapkal affirmed that the agitation will continue, with future strategy to be finalised in consultation with leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). With the Maharashtra Bandh set for Thursday and the NEET controversy showing no signs of abating, the political pressure on the ruling dispensation at both the state and national level is likely to intensify.