NDA MPs to protest at Parliament's Makar Dwar over Congress sit-in
Synopsis
The NEET paper leak row has spilled into a full-blown parliamentary confrontation. NDA MPs are staging a counter-protest at Makar Dwar on Thursday, hours after the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of backing away from a promise to raise the issue inside the House — a move that reframes the controversy from an exam scandal into a question of opposition credibility.
Key Takeaways
NDA MPs will protest at Parliament's Makar Dwar on 23 July at 10:30 am against the Congress-led sit-in over the NEET paper leak.
Rahul Gandhi , Akhilesh Yadav , and senior Congress leaders were briefly detained after staging a sit-in near PM Modi's residence on 21 July .
BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj alleged Gandhi retracted a commitment to raise the NEET issue formally in Parliament.
The BJP claims the notice for a NEET discussion was filed by treasury benches, not the opposition.
Opposition MPs wore black outside Parliament on Wednesday, warning protests will continue without an adjournment motion.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs are set to stage a demonstration at Parliament's Makar Dwar on Thursday, 23 July, at 10:30 am, protesting against the Congress-led sit-in held on 21 July near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence over the NEET paper leak controversy. The counter-protest marks a sharp escalation in the parliamentary standoff between the ruling alliance and the opposition over the handling of the exam row.
Background: The Congress Sit-In That Triggered the Response
Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, alongside senior Congress leaders and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, had staged a sit-in near the Prime Minister's residence on Tuesday, 21 July, protesting the lathi charge on anti-NEET leak demonstrators. The group was briefly detained by the police before being released.
The sit-in came amid a broader wave of student-led agitation against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, which has triggered protests at Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas in the capital.
What the BJP Said
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj accused Gandhi of retreating from a commitment to raise the issue inside Parliament. 'He said that if the government is willing to discuss the issue in Parliament, then we will leave the place. Since it is the PM Modi-led government's policy to seek solutions through dialogue, Union MoS Jitendra Singh reached there and tried to forge a communication with Rahul ji. But the Lok Sabha LoP retracted from his statement,' she said.
Swaraj further claimed that no formal notice for a discussion on the paper leak was submitted by the opposition. 'Even the notice for discussion on NEET was submitted by the treasury benches and not by the Opposition. No formal notice was submitted by the LoP. The House does not function on anybody's whims and fancies,' she remarked.
Opposition's Counter-Move
On Wednesday morning, opposition MPs — including those from Congress, Samajwadi Party, and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) — assembled outside the Parliament complex dressed in black, in protest against what they described as police brutality and the government's handling of the student agitation. Opposition leaders warned that the agitation would continue unless the government accepted an adjournment motion in Parliament.
What's Next
With both sides staking out positions inside and outside Parliament, the NEET row shows no sign of de-escalating before the House. The NDA's Makar Dwar demonstration on Thursday signals that the ruling alliance intends to put the opposition's conduct — not just the exam controversy — at the centre of the political debate. Whether the government agrees to a formal parliamentary discussion on NEET will likely determine the tenor of proceedings in the days ahead.
Point of View
The ruling alliance hopes to put Gandhi on the defensive before the cameras rather than the dispatch box. The BJP's claim that treasury benches — not the opposition — filed the discussion notice is a pointed detail that, if accurate, undermines the narrative that the government is stonewalling. Yet the optics of students being lathi-charged remain a live political liability, and no amount of procedural point-scoring resolves the underlying credibility crisis around India's largest medical entrance examination.
NationPress
23 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are NDA MPs protesting at Parliament's Makar Dwar?
NDA MPs are staging a demonstration at Parliament's Makar Dwar on 23 July at 10:30 am to counter the Congress-led sit-in held on 21 July near PM Modi's residence over the NEET paper leak controversy. The ruling alliance has accused the opposition of creating disruption instead of raising the issue through formal parliamentary channels.
What was the Congress sit-in on 21 July about?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leaders, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav staged a sit-in near PM Modi's residence on 21 July to protest the lathi charge on anti-NEET leak demonstrators. The group was briefly detained by the police before being released.
What did BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj allege at the press conference?
Bansuri Swaraj alleged that Rahul Gandhi retracted a public commitment to raise the NEET issue inside Parliament once the government signalled willingness to discuss it. She also claimed that no formal notice for a NEET discussion was filed by the opposition — and that it was the treasury benches that submitted the notice.
What is the opposition demanding in Parliament over NEET?
Opposition parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, and TMC, are demanding that the government accept an adjournment motion for a debate on the NEET paper leak and the police action against protesters. They have warned that their agitation will continue until the government agrees to a formal discussion.
What is the NEET paper leak controversy?
The NEET controversy refers to allegations of question paper leaks ahead of India's National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, which is the primary medical college entrance exam. The allegations triggered widespread student protests at Jantar Mantar and other locations, and have become a major political flashpoint in Parliament.
