Thiruvananthapuram: CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday strongly condemned the detention of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders during a protest in New Delhi against irregularities in the NEET examination, while BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar defended the police action, saying democracy does not permit violence or lawlessness.

The political reactions came a day after Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, and several opposition MPs were detained by the Delhi Police after staging a surprise dharna near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, demanding his resignation over alleged irregularities and police action against protesting students.

In a Facebook post, Kerala’s Leader of Opposition Pinarayi alleged that the Centre was trying to suppress the protest and accused the police of using force against demonstrators.
"The agitation over the alleged NEET examination irregularities has only grown stronger over the past several weeks. Left student organisations had extended solidarity to the movement from the beginning, and later several opposition parties and MPs joined the protest," he said.

Pinarayi claimed that CPM general secretary M A Baby, other party leaders and MPs had formed a protective shield around the protesters to resist alleged police excesses. He also alleged that "goons carrying lathis" had joined the police in attacking protesters and said the Centre's attempts to suppress the agitation were only increasing public support for it.

Expressing solidarity with Rahul Gandhi, Pinarayi said he strongly condemned the Congress leader's arrest.

Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who was also present in the march along with Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and MPs from Kerala, criticised the Delhi Police action, calling it "anti-democratic". In a Facebook post, Satheesan alleged that Rahul Gandhi was "dragged along the road" by Delhi Police and claimed that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was restrained by male police personnel.

"The only mistake committed by our leaders and public representatives was extending solidarity to the students' legitimate protest. Yesterday, students bled on the streets of Delhi. Fascism was on display, and what happened today is its continuation," he said.

Satheesan alleged that the Centre was trying to intimidate dissenters but asserted that the Congress would not be cowed down.
"Rahul Gandhi and those standing with him are voicing the sentiments of the country. If the government believes it can suppress that voice, it is mistaken," he added.

Responding to the controversy, BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar said peaceful protest was a democratic right but maintained that violence and anarchy could not be justified.
"Protests are a part of democracy and are the right of every citizen. Agreed," he said in a post on X. "Violent protests are not democracy. Anarchy is not democracy. Lawlessness is not democracy," Chandrasekhar added.

Stressing the importance of the rule of law, he said every citizen expects that "law holds lawbreakers accountable" and that "law prevails over anarchy."

Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders were detained on Tuesday after staging a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence, demanding discussions on alleged NEET examination irregularities, action over the police crackdown on students and the resignations of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The opposition leaders were later released after being taken to different police facilities across Delhi.