March on Parliament: Protesters’ anger goes beyond paper leaks

Police personnel using a lathi to disperse supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during a protest march demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET examinations near Parliament House in New Delhi on Monday (July 20, 2026). | Photo credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Four years after the prime minister inaugurated Central Vista Avenue and renamed Rajpath as Kartavya Path, police jeeps and motorcycle-riding cops drove across the green lawns chasing protesters who had gathered to take part in a march to Parliament on Monday (July 20, 2026) morning.

The call was given by the newly formed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), born on social media and solely focused on demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. But the protesters’ pent-up discontent went beyond anger over a spate of paper-leaking incidents. Their collective despair centered on what they saw as the government’s indifference and refusal to even acknowledge their concerns.

Published – 20 Jul 2026 21:57 IST