Jantar Mantar Student Protest: Lathi-Charge, Political Fallout and Talks Over Key Demands
Students protesting alleged irregularities in the NEET UG examination marched under the “Sansad Chalo” campaign from Jantar Mantar, leading to a police lathi-charge, political reactions, and talks with the Centre over their key demands.
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Jantar Mantar Protest: July 20, 2026 marked the day when students across India protested against alleged irregularities in the NEET UG examination, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The students, under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with farmers’ groups, led the “Sansad Chalo” movement on the first day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. The protest was followed by a police lathi-charge after clashes broke out between police personnel and student protesters.
Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the youth-led satirical political movement, had been protesting for the past few days at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi along with Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for around 20 days before he was taken into police custody, two days ahead of the “Sansad Chalo” movement.
Wangchuk, on the 21st day of his hunger strike, was admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. On July 21, it was reported that the Delhi High Court accepted his request to be shifted to a hospital of his choice, Medanta Hospital, according to The Hindu. During his hunger-strike, Wangchuk was visited by several personalities including political leaders, activists, and celebrities.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Hold Sit-In Protest, Demand PM’s Resignation
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, held a sit-in protest on July 21, 2026, outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, demanding answers over what he described as the “brutalities” against students during the July 20 protest. In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi also demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.
“Why is the Prime Minister silent? What is the reason? He should apologise to the students and stop this nonsense of police personnel thrashing students. This is completely wrong. This is no way to treat the young people of this country. They have no opportunities. The only door open to them is that of competitive examinations, and that door has also been destroyed,” Rahul Gandhi told PTI.
We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 21, 2026
The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability or does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament.
PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of… pic.twitter.com/gnU3ZkRKDx
Founder Abhijeet Dipke Arrested?
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das wrote on X on July 20 that the Delhi Police had picked up Abhijeet Dipke and alleged that police personnel were “beating” peaceful protesters. However, Das later clarified that Dipke was “not in detention or under arrest.”
The Delhi Police also responded to Das’s post, stating that claims circulating on social media that Dipke had been detained were “entirely false.”
“It is formally clarified that these allegations are entirely false and he is available on stage,” the Delhi Police said in its reply.
CJP Spokespersons Hold Talks With J.P. Nadda Over Their Demands
CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, on July 20, at around 12 pm, met Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda at his residence on the day of the “Sansad Chalo” campaign. In a post on X, Saurav Das said they conveyed their demands, including the immediate resignation or removal of Dharmendra Pradhan.
According to Saurav Das, Nadda assured the delegation that the demands would be discussed at the “appropriate level,” although no commitments had been made.
“The Minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far. The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met,” Saurav Das said.
The NEET UG main examination, originally scheduled for May 3, was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak and was subsequently postponed. The development reportedly caused widespread distress among aspirants, with several student suicides being reported, eventually leading the CJP to launch the “Sansad Chalo” movement against the education system.
Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV's Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department's social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy.
Sahil holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
