Dozens of protesters and security personnel were injured on Monday after police resorted to a baton-charge and fired tear gas to disperse thousands of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters attempting to march towards Parliament, triggering violent clashes and chaotic scenes in the heart of central Delhi on the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
Several CJP leaders, student activists and opposition politicians were temporarily detained during the day as security forces prevented demonstrators from breaching multiple barricades erected around Parliament Street and adjoining high-security areas. Reports also suggest that police are filing FIR against some of the protestors.
The protesters, who had assembled at Jantar Mantar since last night for the “Sansad Chalo” march, were demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and student suicides.
According to official reports by national media and news agencies, the confrontation escalated around 11.30 am when groups of protesters attempted to push through several layers of barricades leading towards Parliament. A scuffle broke out after police tried to stop the march, leading to much commotion with both demonstrators and security personnel sustaining injuries.
As the crowd swelled, police used batons to push back protesters and later fired tear gas shells near the Press Club and Constitution Club to disperse demonstrators who refused to retreat. Eyewitnesses said panic briefly gripped the area as people ran to escape the police action, with several protesters stumbling over one another before security personnel regained control.
Despite the police action, many protesters managed to topple barricades and advance towards Patel Chowk, where they staged a sit-in before being stopped again by security personnel. Authorities subsequently closed the gates of Patel Chowk Metro station as a precautionary measure, while large numbers of demonstrators were also seen inside Rajiv Chowk Metro station.
Heavy security arrangements had been made in central Delhi in view of the protest and the commencement of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. Delhi Police deployed a large contingent of personnel, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other paramilitary units. Multiple layers of barricades were erected on all roads leading to Parliament, while senior police officers monitored the situation on the ground.
The protest coincided with the first day of the Monsoon Session, during which Opposition parties sought to corner the government over the alleged examination controversy and several other issues, leading to repeated disruptions and adjournments in both Houses.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi strongly criticised the police action against the protesters. “There are massive issues. You are not even ready to discuss them, but you are firing tear gas at children and beating them up. For what? These are our children,” she told reporters at Parliament.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge termed the police action “an attack on democracy.”
“Lathi-charge on students is an attack on democracy. This government is not capable of staying in power,” Kharge said, while also accusing the government of avoiding discussion on key public issues in Parliament.
The Samajwadi Party condemned the detention of its Lok Sabha MP Dimple Yadav, who had joined the protest, and described the alleged lathi-charge on students as “undemocratic and condemnable.”
AAP leader Manish Sisodia also joined the march and demanded the resignation of the Education Minister.
Visuals from the protest site showed Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Azad Samaj Party MP Chandrashekhar Azad, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, actor Shabana Azmi and several civil society activists participating in the demonstration.
Meanwhile, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said he and party leader Ashutosh Ranka met BJP president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda after the government initiated talks with the protest leaders.
“After waiting for more than two hours, Ashutosh Ranka and I met J.P. Nadda for about 10 minutes. We submitted our written demands, and he assured us that he would discuss them internally. There is news of mass detention,” Das said in a post on X.
Earlier in the day, Das had said the government had reached out for talks while maintaining that the party’s demands remained unchanged and that thousands of young people had gathered to press for justice.
During the protest, demonstrators raised slogans against the government, accusing it of suppressing dissent instead of addressing the concerns of students and unemployed youth.
In a symbolic development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after an appeal from Sonam Wangchuk, who remains admitted to Safdarjung Hospital. Dipke broke his fast by drinking juice, saying the movement would continue through democratic means.
Three student activists associated with the All India Students’ Association (AISA) also ended their 23-day hunger strike during the day.
The protests prompted authorities to further tighten security around the Parliament complex. Parliament gates were briefly shut following the adjournment of both Houses, while access to several roads in central Delhi remained restricted for hours.
The CJP has vowed to continue its nationwide agitation until the government accepts its key demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a comprehensive investigation into the alleged NEET paper leak and accountability for what it describes as the government’s failure to protect the interests of students. With the Opposition expected to raise the issue repeatedly in Parliament, Monday’s confrontation has set the stage for a stormy Monsoon Session in the days ahead.
