The ongoing protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Delhi saw fresh political and security tension as demonstrators reclaimed Jantar Mantar after police dismantled the protest stage and tents following a day of clashes between protesters and security personnel.
A heavy deployment of Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) continued to operate on a high level around the protest site as authorities kept watch on the site in the city in the wake of the protest which has turned the student-led movement into a national political flashpoint in the national capital.
Protesters have been protesting the NEET-UG 2026 examination and other competitive exams for several weeks and they want more security in paper leaks, more transparency in the examination to be conducted and for those who did wrong to be held accountable. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is one of the most prominent figures among the protesters.
The agitation grew as the CJP organized a ‘Chalo Sansad’ march where large numbers of protesters attempted to move towards Parliament. There was heavy police presence and a clash between protesters and security personnel during the march. After the clash the authorities dismantled tents and other temporary structures on Jantar Mantar and the protesters returned to the site and resumed their presence.
The protest has been attended by other political leaders and public figures. Opposition leaders and prominent personalities have come to the protest site or expressed their support for the protesters. Rahul Gandhi has not appeared in the protest video but that was not new.
Gandhi later led a group of Congress MPs in a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence. The protest drew massive protests as police removed Gandhi and other lawmakers from the area. Gandhi was briefly detained and released.
The Congress has also criticised the government for the handling of student protests and accused it of using excessive force against demonstrators. The government and police have maintained that security measures were needed to maintain law and order amid large gatherings and incidents of violence.
Tensions worsened late yesterday when stone-pelting began to take place around Connaught Place, a short distance from Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police and RAF personnel were in huge numbers on the ground in the vicinity to control the situation.
The recent unrest has also led to severe restrictions in central Delhi. A number of Metro stations were temporarily closed as a security measure with commuters and lawyers who are in the Supreme Court and court staff affected by the closed Metro station. The closure of the Supreme Court Metro station raised the concerns of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said if the railway station was not reopened he would intervene.
The protest has also spread beyond Delhi to other cities, with demonstrations in some of them. Support from public figures, such as former cricketers and actors, has propelled the students’ calls.
As protesters return to Jantar Mantar again and security forces are present today and security forces remain tight and the CJP protests are there, this CJP campaign is still a major political and social issue. With the protesters pressing their demands and with the government under pressure from the public and a growing pressure for the examination controversy, the coming days may be key for seeing if the standoff turns to dialogue or not; the situation will be a matter of when the conflict might turn into a standoff between the two sides of the protest movement or the government’s failure to respond.
