Congress leader Rahul Gandhi rejected the Centre's request to end the protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence on Tuesday. The Congress decided to continue its demonstration, saying the government had not accepted its key demands. The protest came a day after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led march to Parliament, which witnessed clashes between protesters and security personnel.

Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi led the protest as the party stepped up pressure on the Centre over the NEET and other examination paper leaks. Congress leaders and workers gathered at Kharge's residence at 10, Rajaji Marg before marching towards the Prime Minister's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, which is a little over a kilometre away.

In a rare move, Union Minister Jitendra Singh reached the protest site and held talks with Rahul Gandhi. The two leaders spoke for several minutes in an attempt to resolve the situation. However, the discussions ended without any agreement.

Congress leaders later confirmed that the Centre had asked them to withdraw the protest, but the party refused. Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain said, "They wanted us to withdraw the protest and we did not agree because our demands were not met. We want Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and a discussion in Parliament on the paper leaks. More MPs, more Congress workers and more common people will join our protest."

The Congress protest followed Monday's CJP march to Parliament over the NEET paper leak and other examination irregularities. The demonstration saw police and the Rapid Action Force use lathicharge and tear gas to disperse protesters, many of whom were students and young people. The CJP claimed several protesters suffered injuries and many were left bleeding during the police action.

The Delhi Police presented a different version of events. The force accused protesters of turning violent during the march. According to the police, protesters threw stones at security personnel, damaged police vehicles and carried out large-scale violence. The Delhi Police said 118 police personnel, including senior officers, were injured during the clashes.

Rahul Gandhi defended the protest in a post on X and said the Congress was demanding accountability from the government over the treatment of students during Monday's demonstration. He also demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"We have marched to PM Modi's house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn't want to take any accountability or (sic) does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India's youth," Rahul Gandhi wrote.

As the Congress march moved towards the Prime Minister's residence, the Delhi Police quickly deployed additional security personnel in the area. Police also started detaining several protesters. The BJP criticised the Congress and accused the party of putting the Prime Minister's security at risk.

Congress leaders rejected the BJP's allegations and maintained that the protest remained peaceful. Congress MP Manickam Tagore said, "The Prime Minister is not in the Parliament. He left the Parliament in a very short time yesterday as well. Where do we go to be heard? The protest is being held peacefully."

Jitendra Singh, who serves as the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, arrived at the protest site nearly an hour after the demonstration began. He held a detailed conversation with Rahul Gandhi. A person present at the site recorded the discussion. However, the meeting failed to produce any breakthrough and the protest continued.

The issue also disrupted Parliament for the second consecutive day during the Monsoon Session. Both Houses witnessed repeated disruptions and adjourned early on Monday and Tuesday. Congress members tried to raise the issue of the paper leaks and the police action against protesters. The party claimed its leaders were not allowed to speak.

Speaking outside Parliament before joining the protest, Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the government for refusing to allow a discussion on the issue. He said, "Today, we wanted to raise the issue of the students who were assaulted. They were lathi-charged, tear gas was used against them, they were beaten up, and many of them are now in hospitals. We wanted to raise our voice in Parliament against this injustice, these atrocities, and the pressure being created on them. We had sought time to speak, and when we stood up, after uttering just one word, the microphone was switched off. This is democracy? If, in a democracy, you do not want a debate and do not want to listen to the Opposition, then where should we go?"

Meanwhile, the government continued its outreach efforts. Representatives of the CJP held two meetings with Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Monday. On Tuesday, Nadda also visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and Lady Hardinge Hospital to meet protesters who were injured during the march. The Centre maintained that it remains ready to engage with protesters and hear their concerns. At the same time, it stated that it would not tolerate violence during demonstrations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the issue of the NEET paper leak on Tuesday. During the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting, he said preventing examination paper leaks is a national responsibility. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju shared details of the meeting and said, "The PM called on NDA partners to remain united in supporting legislative business and appealed to opposition parties to work constructively in parliament, saying that while political differences may exist, all MPs have a shared responsibility to work for the country's future and the welfare of its youth."

The Prime Minister also said the government acted immediately after reports of the NEET paper leak surfaced. He said the authorities arrested those involved and took swift action against the accused.