A day after the Cockroach Janta Party-led march to Parliament, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday marched to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, demanding his resignation over the police action against students and activists protesting the NEET paper leak issue.The protest ended in dramatic scenes as the Delhi Police dragged away Rahul and other Opposition leaders after the Congress refused to withdraw its sit-in despite talks with the government. Viral videos on social media also showed Rahul, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, bleeding from the nose as he was forcibly removed from the protest site.In an unusual development, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, accompanied by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, reached the site and held talks with Rahul in an attempt to end the dharna. The negotiations failed after the Congress stood firm on its twin demands: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a discussion in Parliament on the NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities.Rahul had sat on the road outside the Prime Minister’s residence, refusing to move despite repeated appeals by police personnel. Around 6.40 pm, the police removed him along with Priyanka, Congress MPs and party workers. Congress sources claimed Rahul was prepared to continue the dharna through the night if the government did not accept the party’s demands.Before being removed, Rahul appealed to people across the country to join the protest. “An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family. PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time. I ask every patriotic Indian who believes our students deserve justice–join us in dharna in front of the Prime Minister’s residence. The voice of India’s students will not be ignored,” he said in a post on X.The protest began shortly after Opposition parties accused the government of refusing to allow a discussion in Parliament on the alleged assault on students during Monday’s protest. Kharge, Rahul, Priyanka and senior Congress leaders assembled outside the Congress president’s residence at 10 Rajaji Marg before marching to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, raising slogans against the Centre.Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and several Congress MPs, including KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Pawan Khera and Deepender Hooda, joined the march. The protesters symbolically zip-tied their hands, alleging that the government was curbing democratic freedom and silencing the Opposition. As the protest gathered strength, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule joined the dharna in support of the Congress.Congress leaders said Jitendra requested Rahul to end the protest, but the party declined, saying the government had failed to address its demands.Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain said the party would not withdraw the dharna until Pradhan resigned and Parliament held a detailed discussion on the paper leak issue. “As long as the students do not get justice, the Congress and our leader will not budge from here in front of the PM’s residence,” he said, adding that more MPs, Congress workers and members of the public would join the protest.Jitendra later alleged that Rahul had changed his stand after the government agreed to discuss NEET and the associated agitation in Parliament. He claimed Rahul had initially agreed to end the dharna if the government accepted the demand for a discussion, but later added a fresh condition seeking Pradhan’s resignation. He said the government remained ready for a discussion in Parliament and accused the Congress of backtracking from its earlier position.The BJP accused the Congress of compromising the Prime Minister’s security by marching towards his residence. Rejecting the charge, Congress MP Manickam Tagore said the protest was peaceful. “The Prime Minister is not in Parliament. He left Parliament in a very short time yesterday as well. Where do we go to be heard? The protest is being carried out peacefully,” Tagore said.Earlier in the day, Kharge alleged that the Opposition had been denied an opportunity to raise the issue of the police action against students in Parliament. He said Congress MPs wanted to speak about students who had allegedly been lathicharged, tear-gassed and admitted to hospitals, but were prevented from doing so after their microphones were switched off.Rahul also demanded the resignations of the Prime Minister and Home Minister Amit Shah. “We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The government doesn’t want to take any accountability nor does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” he posted on X.Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Opposition had repeatedly sought a discussion in both Houses on the alleged attack on students and the treatment meted out to them. He said the Congress had also been demanding Pradhan’s resignation for the past 45 days.