7 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 21, 2026 01:22 PM IST
After a day of massive crackdowns on the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protesters in Delhi, a sizeable crowd was back at Jantar Mantar, raising voices against the Central government and the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan well after midnight.
On Tuesday morning, the national capital continued to be under heavy security as the protest entered its 24th day. According to the police, over 170 people — including both the protesters and the security personnel — were injured in the violence during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.”
What is CJP’s stand?
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke announced that he will not march again or the police would “hurt” the youth again, news agency Reuters reported. However, he assured that the stir will continue. “To protect one Dharmendra Pradhan, who is responsible for the deaths of more than 20 students, the Govt was willing to spill the blood of many more young students… We will keep fighting for all of you,” he wrote on X.
I apologise to all our supporters, especially the girls who were brutally beaten by male police officers.
We could have done better. I could have done better to protect you from the inhumane actions of the Delhi Police.
To protect one Dharmendra Pradhan, who is responsible for…
— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 21, 2026
Renewing its demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resignation, the CJP has stated that the government has “shamed” itself completely. “If they wanted to, the resignation would have happened long ago, but all the BJP people are in arrogance.”
What’s the latest update from the police?
The Delhi Police registered five FIRs against unidentified persons on Tuesday. They launched a probe to find out whether the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to disrupt peace in the city. The cases were filed under sections related to rioting, damage to government and private property, and assaulting public servants on duty.
Sources said the investigating team is examining CCTV footage, including footage from cameras equipped with facial recognition technology, to identify those allegedly involved in the violence. “We are also reviewing social media posts and mobile phone recordings as part of the investigation,” the source said.
Police said protesters caused extensive damage to public property, vandalising 15 to 20 government vehicles and other government property. About 70 protesters have been detained.
CJP protest at Jantar Mantar after midnight on Monday. (Express Photo: Tashi Tobgyal)
What Nadda says about his talks with CJP
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said that the talks with the CJP went off “fine”, reported news agency ANI.
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“It was fine, it is always fine,” said Nadda, keeping his answer regarding Monday’s meeting brief, as he arrived for the NDA Parliamentary Party Meeting, ‘Mangal Milan’.
Nadda met CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka and chief spokesperson Saurav Das at his residence on Monday as the protesters walked towards Parliament demanding Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Earlier that day, he said the proposal for talks came from the protesters for the first time on Monday morning. “This morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. An initial verbal discussion was held in detail with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 PM. I have requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy,” he posted on X.
During the meet, the government leadership assured them that it will hold internal discussions on their demands.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda tweets, “This morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. An initial verbal discussion was… pic.twitter.com/gdwMpVpOLu
— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2026
What Opposition says
The Opposition parties are planning a march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday afternoon in protest against the police action on Cockroach Janta Party supporters in Delhi, sources have told The Indian Express.
The police crackdown was discussed at the meeting of floor leaders of Opposition parties on Monday, and all parties were on board on the need to take the protest outside Parliament.
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Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal criticised Nadda’s assertion that the proposal of the talks came from the protesters. “How arrogant! “Our fasting children’s proposals were known to all. What was the government doing? Watching and waiting to tear-gas and lathi charge them! Shameful!” the Independent Rajya Sabha MP said in a post.
The CJP protesters being prevented from approaching Parliament on Monday. (Express Photo: Amit Mehra)
How many protesters were injured?
The rally that kicked off in the morning faced police blockades at multiple points. As the crowd swelled from 12,000 to 50,000, tear gas and lathicharge were used across protest sites —stretching from Gole Dak Khana near Connaught Place in the northwest, through Jantar Mantar, to India Gate in the southeast.
Till 5.30 in the evening on Monday, more than 100 people — 90 protesters and 10 cops — were treated by the emergency teams in Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, the sources in the hospital said. Many others were taken to Lady Hardinge Hospital after RML’s emergency was overwhelmed.
What the police alleged?
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police said “more than 118 police personnel”, including some senior officers, sustained injuries as protesters attacked them with “stones and other objects” and “resorted to large-scale violence” on Monday. “During the scuffle, around 60 protesters were also reported to (have been)… injured,” they said in a statement.
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“The protesters displayed unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour. Despite repeated warnings and lawful directions issued by the police, they refused to disperse and deliberately violated the prohibitory orders in force. The protesters attacked police personnel with stones and other objects, attempted to breach police barricades, vandalised police and other government vehicles, damaged public property, and resorted to large-scale violence, posing a serious threat to public order, the security arrangements in place, and the safety of police personnel performing their lawful duties,” they said.
