Indian Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi Detained Amidst 'Cockroach' Protests

Police have detained Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi as the student-led “Cockroach” protests against the government persist and expand, despite a harsh crackdown by authorities.

Gandhi and other opposition leaders were detained during a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday evening. The picket was called to protest the earlier aggressive response to the student protests, which demand educational reform and greater government accountability.

Police bundled Gandhi into a vehicle after he had called for the resignation of top government figures for their role in the crackdown on Monday.

As well as Modi, the opposition leader called for the departure of Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Al Jazeera’s Yashraj Sharma reported from the scene in New Delhi.

Those detained were taken to a nearby police station, he added.

Pawan Khera, a member of Gandhi’s Indian National Congress party, confirmed on social media that the politician had been forcibly taken by police. Gandhi’s sister and fellow party member, Priyanka Gandhi, were among others who were arrested, he noted.

Footage shared by Indian media appeared to show protesters attempting to shield Gandhi as police grabbed him as he lay on the ground.

“It was really chaotic, right outside the prime minister’s residence where Gandhi had publicly called for people to assemble,” said Sharma.

A later post on social media asserted that there were clear signs that Gandhi had been injured during his detainment.

The incident comes as protests by the youth-driven Cockroach movement continued for a second day elsewhere in New Delhi.

On Monday, police used tear gas and beat protesters with canes and batons as thousands marched towards parliament, prompting a wave of public sympathy across the country.

The movement, which has expanded beyond students to include professionals and families, represents one of the most significant public challenges to Modi’s government in recent years, reviving criticism over its handling of dissent and its use of force against protesters.

Gandhi wrote on social media that Modi must resign for “destroying the future of India’s youth”.

“The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability [nor] does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament,” said Gandhi.

Thousands gathered on Tuesday at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site in New Delhi, under heavy police presence, saying they would stay until the education minister resigns over alleged failures in India’s examination system.

“We are going to continue our protest,” said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, which emerged just two months ago as a satirical protest after a Supreme Court judge described India’s youth as “cockroaches” but quickly evolved.

The movement gained momentum over the weekend after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose three-week hunger strike became a symbol of the protests, was forcibly taken to a hospital by police.

Video of police beating protesters and dragging them away on Monday spread on social media, fuelling public outrage. Footage showed young protesters crying and pleading with officers not to hit them, while others stood their ground and endured blows.

Delhi police said nearly 180 people were injured, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters.

Sona Bisht, a 20-year-old student who was part of the protest, said the confrontation strengthened her resolve.

“If the government thinks that doing this with Gen Z, they can stop us, then that won’t happen. We are here talking about education, talking about securing our future. And till the time our demands are met, we will not move from here,” she said.