Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan
| Photo Credit: Nirmal Harindran
Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) expressed strong condemnation over the arrest of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a day ago from outside the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi, where he was agitating in connection with recent police action against student protesters.
Mr. Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and other top party leaders staged a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Tuesday demanding his resignation over the police action against the students protesting against the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Vijayan said that the protest against the alleged NEET exam irregularities is gaining momentum and public support.
He said that initially, Left student organisations had supported and joined the protest started weeks ago by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters as well as education activist Sonam Wangchuk. Now, various other Opposition political parties and MPs, including the top Congress leadership have also joined the agitation, he said.
Mr. Vijayan claimed that as the protesters, including Opposition political parties and leaders, raised the alleged NEET exam irregularities and demanded the Union Education Minister’s resignation, the Central government is trying to suppress the agitation by using force.
He said that according to news reports, “a gang of thugs with lathis” were attacking protesters along with the police.
“The more the Central government tries to suppress the protest, the more public support it gains,” Mr. Vijayan said in his post.
Thousands of students and activists gathered at Jantar Mantar on Monday for the CJP’s proposed march to Parliament despite heavy security arrangements, multi-layered barricades and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
The police used force, including lathicharge and tear gas shells, after protesters attempted to march towards Parliament, with both sides blaming each other for the violence.
The agitation, which began on June 20, is seeking accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Published – July 22, 2026 10:50 am IST
