Several injured in the crackdown on the CJP’s parliamentary march

Police on Monday (July 20, 2026) cracked down on a protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi. Police action at one of the largest protests in the capital in recent years left several injured.

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At least 38 injured were taken to Lady Hardinge Medical School and about 65 to Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, sources said, with fractures, tear gas swelling and head and eye injuries.

Police swung into action amid an internet shutdown in the New Delhi district, even as CJPs Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Union Minister JP Nadda to formally demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, seeing “the brutality we are facing with the peacefully protesting youth”, said he would continue the fast “until the youth leaders can meet the MPs at Sansad Bhawan or I can meet them here at the hospital”.

Mr. Das and Mr. Ranka said that Mr. Nadda told them that he would discuss the demands with the government. However, the CJP was still waiting for a response, Mr. Das said in the evening, adding, “The protest continues at Jantar Mantar.”

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi condemned the police action, writing on X: “When these children raised legitimate questions about education – they were met with lathis and detention in response… The criminals who leaked the papers are roaming free…”

Waves of protests

The protests brought to the fore the growing discontent over the NEET paper leak and irregularities in the CBSE school examination process. Slogans of “Dharmendra Pradhan, isteefa do” (step down) went viral.

Earlier, the CJP leaders did not start their march to Parliament in the morning as they had established contact with the government through the Deputy Commissioner of Police in New Delhi.

Waves of youth and students arrived even as nearby Delhi Metro stations closed their exits. Government officials and Parliament staff, who were not allowed to leave the Central Secretariat station, were seen arguing with CISF and Delhi Police personnel. Many Rail Bhawan employees were seen cheering on the protesters and filming videos while standing in front of the office buildings.

By early afternoon, hundreds of protesters slipped through barricades on Sansad Marg and headed southwest toward the new parliament building. When they were a few hundred meters from the Parliament building, security forces lathi-charged a small rally during which mobile internet was also disrupted at 150 locations in central Delhi.

Dozens of protesters were detained and injuries were reported among police officers, although the Delhi Police did not provide a detailed statement on the number of injuries or the nature of the police crackdown. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who broke his fast, and Mr. Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J. Angmo were briefly detained and assaulted, the CJP alleged. The Delhi Police denied both claims.

The strike spread in the following hours. With the communication breakdown slowing the flow of pictures and videos from the protest site, the police continued to lathi-charge and lob tear gas shells on numerous occasions in Jantar Mantar, Patel Chowk, India Gate, Connaught Place and other parts of the area where large groups continued to protest. Police denied using excessive force.

Meeting with Nadda

CJP spokespersons met Mr. Nadda at 4 p.m. The CJP demanded Mr Pradhan’s resignation, Mr Wangchuk’s discharge from hospital and ₹1 crore compensation to the families affected by the NEET-related suicides.

Mr. Wangchuk hinted that he was on the verge of calling off the fast if MPs met him and assured him that he would raise the issue of education in the monsoon session. A Delhi High Court judge prevented Mr Wangchuk from moving from the hospital. A division jury upheld that denial on Monday (July 20) and remanded the case to Tuesday (July 21).

During the police lathi charge at Jantar Mantar, a mob ran towards the Janata Dal (United) office and caused a wall to fall. Three AISA activists on hunger strike were injured during the incident and moved away.

(With inputs from Shrimansi Kaushik, Sreeparna Chakraborty, Ashna Butani and Sobhana K)

Published – 20 Jul 2026 23:16 IST