Indian police briefly detained the country’s top opposition leader and his sister during a protest on Tuesday, as a fresh wave of public outrage puts pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Rahul Gandhi was criticizing the authorities’ use of tear gas and batons on Monday against thousands of protesters who were demanding changes to India’s education system. The student-led movement is spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party, which began as a satirical online protest but has since snowballed into one of the largest demonstrations challenging the ruling coalition.
Their momentum gives ammunition to Gandhi’s opposition party, which has lost many elections under Modi’s tenure but is looking to make inroads with young people, analysts said.