Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was released late Tuesday following his detention during high-stakes demonstrations against the government’s handling of a massive medical exam leak. The crisis, driven by widespread student outrage and the newly formed social media movement Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has escalated into one of the most significant political challenges facing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.
The unrest erupted after leaked medical school test papers forced over two million students to retake their exams. The scandal has been linked to at least 12 student suicides, igniting fierce calls for the immediate resignations of Prime Minister Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Gandhi was detained alongside other opposition figures while conducting a sit-in outside Modi’s residence in New Delhi, demanding educational reform and protesting the heavy-handed police response. In response, Education Minister Pradhan condemned the sit-in on X, accusing Gandhi of exploiting students as “political tools” for disruption while maintaining that the government remains committed to delivering accountability and reform.
The CJP, which launched just two months ago, has rapidly mobilized millions of young Indians frustrated by recurring exam leaks and chronic job shortages. Clashes in New Delhi on Monday left 118 police personnel and 60 protesters injured after authorities deployed tear gas and batons.
Despite the crackdown, hundreds of demonstrators remain camped at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site, while hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk was transferred to a private hospital following a court order, signaling that the momentum behind the movement shows no signs of slowing down.
