Protests at Jantar Mantar escalate as talks stall
Student demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over an alleged NEET‑UG 2026 paper leak intensified at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on 23–24 July. The protesters demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, prompting mobile internet curbs and multiple metro station closures in central Delhi, and clashed with police, leaving several officers injured. The CJP announced a nationwide, district‑level peaceful protest for 24 July. Ministers offered talks, which the CJP said must take place at or near Jantar Mantar.
Jantar Mantar Protest: Key Developments
Protests at Jantar Mantar have been ongoing for weeks, after allegations of a leak in the NEET‑UG 2026 examination. On 23 July, authorities closed a number of Delhi Metro stations in central Delhi and suspended mobile internet services in parts of the area around Jantar Mantar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that fast‑track courts would be set up for paper‑leak cases the same day.
Government ministers, including JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, publicly offered to meet protest representatives, but CJP leaders reiterated that any talks should take place at or near Jantar Mantar and declined meetings at ministers’ residences. Tensions rose in the afternoon and evening on Sansad Marg and around Connaught Place, with reports of stone‑pelting and bottles thrown. Delhi Police reported that several of its personnel were injured.
Late on 23 July and into the early hours of 24 July, the CJP circulated a call for a coordinated, district‑level protest nationwide on 24 July. Universities and other institutions issued advisories: Delhi University warned students to stay away from Jantar Mantar, citing risks associated with unlawful assemblies.
Jantar Mantar Protest: Verified Facts
- The CJP has led sustained protests at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET‑UG 2026 paper leak and is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- The CJP called for a nationwide, district‑level peaceful protest on 24 July 2026 and circulated SOPs and templates for local organisers.
- Ministers including JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh publicly offered talks with CJP representatives; the CJP insisted that talks occur at or near Jantar Mantar and rejected meeting at a minister’s residence.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that fast‑track courts will be set up for paper‑leak cases.
- Mobile internet services were suspended in parts of central Delhi on 23 July, and the suspension was extended during the day.
- Multiple Delhi Metro stations in central Delhi were closed on 23 July; reports listed 16 stations, with at least one report citing 17 closures.
- Clashes were reported around Jantar Mantar and Sansad Marg–Connaught Place, and the Crime Branch was assigned to probe a set of cases related to the protests (11 cases reported transferred).
Violence During Jantar Mantar Protest
Clashes around Jantar Mantar and adjacent areas involved stone‑pelting and bottles being thrown. Several Delhi Police personnel were reported injured; named officers cited across reports include ACP Jai Prakash, ACP Vivek Bhagat and Inspector Nand Kishore. Delhi Police publicly denied any plan for an overnight crackdown.
Police activity included heavy deployments around the protest site and selected official residences. The Crime Branch was tasked with probing multiple cases connected to the violence; media reports cited that 11 cases were transferred for investigation.
Restrictions and logistics
Authorities ordered a suspension of mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi on 23 July and extended the shutdown during the day. Reports described the affected area as a radius of roughly 1.5 kilometres around Jantar Mantar, while tests by one outlet noted loss of connectivity up to about 1.8 kilometres, including locations such as Andhra Pradesh Bhavan.
The Delhi Metro closed a number of central stations during the day. Multiple reports listed 16 stations as shut, while at least one reference mentioned 17 closures; an authoritative DMRC advisory has been requested to confirm the exact list and timings. Traders in Connaught Place were advised to close shops early amid the unrest, affecting commuter and business activity.
Political responses and offers to talk
The central government signalled a willingness to engage. Ministers made offers to meet CJP representatives, but the protest leadership maintained that any negotiations should happen at or near Jantar Mantar.
The Prime Minister said fast‑track courts would be constituted to try paper‑leak cases. Opposition and INDIA bloc leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, visited Gandhi Smriti and expressed solidarity with the protesting students. Offers of talks remained unresolved at the end of the reporting period.
Human impact
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a prolonged hunger strike, was hospitalised at Medanta and reported that ministers had spoken to him about discussion and compensation. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reported illness and was taken for medical attention on 24 July. Delhi University issued an advisory asking students to avoid the protest site.
Reports indicated injuries among police personnel; an exact, independently verified casualty list for police and protesters, and current hospital statuses, remain to be confirmed.
Disputed and unverified claims
- Allegations that Delhi Police deliberately parked a “totally damaged car” at the protest site to frame protesters.
- CJP assertions that BJP activists or “goons” were brought in to instigate violence.
- Viral claims that detained students were freed from police vans by a “hacker” and that Mumbai police warned protesters of “false drug cases.”
- Suggestions that the National Security Act renewal was linked to protesting, as opposed to being a routine quarterly extension.
- Precise numbers of arrests, detentions and protesters charged across cities, and whether detentions were arbitrary.
What still needs verification
- Official DMRC advisory listing the exact metro stations closed and the timings of closures.
- Full text of the internet‑shutdown order(s): legal authority cited, precise geographic co‑ordinates or radius, and duration supplied to telecom providers.
- Complete, independently verified casualty and hospital admission details for injured police and protesters, and any fatalities linked to the protests.
- Details of FIRs and charges registered, including which police stations and whether passport cancellations were ordered or contemplated.
- Original copies of the CJP SOP and memorandum template circulated for the 24 July protests.
- Medical records or hospital statements for Sonam Wangchuk and any written ministerial assurances to him or families of students who died.
- Provenance and forensic checks on video footage cited in claims of police provocation, damaged vehicles placed to frame protesters, and other contested visuals.
Legal and administrative context
The Crime Branch received a set of cases connected to the protests; reports cited 11 cases transferred for probe. Authorities implemented temporary internet curbs and metro station closures as part of security measures in central Delhi. Delhi Police reiterated there was no plan for an overnight crackdown, even as other accounts warned of possible escalation.
Questions remain over the legal basis and documentation for the shutdowns and for any administrative measures such as passport actions. The alleged link between an NSA renewal and protest management was contested in reports; officials described routine procedural aspects of renewals, while some commentators tied the renewal to broader policing powers.
What Happens Next in the Jantar Mantar Protest
The CJP’s nationwide, district‑level peaceful protest is scheduled for 24 July. Offers of talks from central ministers remained on the table but were conditional on venue and format, and the CJP maintained its demand that discussions take place at or near Jantar Mantar. Authorities have signalled investigations through the Crime Branch and extended security measures in the capital.
Reporting notes
Primary documents and replies sought include: the DMRC advisory on station closures, the formal internet‑shutdown order(s) and telecom notices, the Crime Branch transfer order for the reported cases, texts of ministerial statements and invitations to talk, FIR copies and police status on arrests, and hospital statements or records for named individuals. Verification of contested video evidence and forensic checks on multimedia have also been requested.
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