Modi govt frees Rahul Gandhi after detention at student-led protest

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has been released after being detained during escalating nationwide protests over the country's education system, as political pressure mounts on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Gandhi was taken into custody on Tuesday alongside several opposition leaders during a sit-in outside the Prime Minister's residence in New Delhi.

The demonstrators accused the government of failing to address students' concerns and criticised the authorities' handling of the growing protest movement. He was released later the same day.

The detention came as opposition parties intensified their campaign by staging a protest in Parliament on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The parliamentary demonstration echoed the demands of student protesters calling for sweeping reforms and greater accountability within the education sector.

The protests, driven largely by students and supported by the social media-based Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, have developed into one of the most significant public challenges facing the Modi administration.

Public anger intensified after the alleged leak of medical entrance examination papers forced more than two million candidates to retake their tests.

The controversy has also been linked by protesters to at least 12 student suicides, further fuelling calls for action against those responsible.

Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, arguing that the government has failed to safeguard the integrity of the examination system and respond adequately to students' concerns.

The opposition has also condemned what it describes as an increasingly heavy-handed response by authorities towards peaceful demonstrators, insisting that the government should engage with students and introduce meaningful reforms rather than relying on detentions and policing measures.

The government has yet to announce any decision regarding the opposition's demand for the education minister's resignation, while protests continue in several parts of the country.