Opposition MPs Wear Black in Parliament, Intensify Protest Over Police Action on Student Demonstrators

New Delhi, July 2026 : A day after dramatic protests outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence ended with police removing Opposition leaders and demonstrators, Members of Parliament from the INDIA bloc arrived at Parliament on Wednesday dressed in black to protest what they described as police excesses against students and Opposition leaders.

The coordinated demonstration took place outside the Parliament complex, where MPs from several Opposition parties gathered with black attire, banners and placards, raising slogans against the Centre over its handling of the nationwide agitation linked to the alleged NEET paper leak controversy. The lawmakers accused the government of responding with force instead of addressing students’ concerns and demanded accountability for the police action during Tuesday’s protests.

Senior leaders, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and MPs from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and other INDIA bloc constituents, participated in the symbolic protest. Wearing black, they sought to convey their solidarity with protesting students and condemned what they called the government’s “insensitivity” towards youth demanding reforms in the examination system.

The protest comes in the wake of Tuesday’s confrontation outside the Prime Minister’s residence, where Opposition leaders staged a sit-in demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak. Police intervened to disperse the gathering, removing several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, from the protest site. The Opposition has alleged that excessive force was used during the operation.

Several Congress MPs strongly criticised the police action, accusing the government of attempting to suppress democratic dissent. Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari described the developments as an “undeclared Emergency”, alleging that even the Leader of the Opposition was manhandled during the protest.

“The manner in which the Leader of the Opposition was detained and allegedly injured reflects a serious assault on democratic values. We will continue to oppose such actions through peaceful and constitutional means,” Tiwari told reporters.

Congress leader K. Suresh said the decision to wear black inside the Parliament premises was intended to register the Opposition’s anger over the treatment meted out to MPs and students alike.

“We are demonstrating in black to protest the police action against the Leader of the Opposition and several Members of Parliament near the Prime Minister’s residence. Such treatment of elected representatives is unacceptable in a democracy,” Suresh said.

The Opposition has maintained that the issue goes beyond the alleged examination irregularities and now concerns the government’s response to students protesting for accountability and reforms. Leaders have repeatedly demanded a detailed discussion in Parliament on the examination system, paper leaks, and the police action against demonstrators.

Meanwhile, the Monsoon Session of Parliament continues to witness repeated disruptions as the confrontation between the ruling NDA and the Opposition over the NEET controversy shows no signs of easing. With both sides remaining firm on their positions, legislative business has been severely affected, raising concerns over the productivity of the ongoing session. The political standoff is expected to intensify further as the Opposition plans to continue pressing for a debate on the issue inside and outside Parliament.