‘Took first train’: Delhi Police action, not paper leaks, drives hundreds more to CJP protest at Jantar Mantar

NEW DELHI: A 19-year old second-year student from Banaras Hindu University took a Vande Bharat train from Varanasi to New Delhi in the morning of July 23 after watching a series of reels on Instagram. What she saw had shocked her – Delhi Police beating unarmed students with batons, tear gas shot into crowds, blood, bruises and shouts, all from Monday, the 23rd day of protest. After “feeling agitated,” she decided to join the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest at Jantar Mantar, arriving on Thursday morning.

She has nothing to do with the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medicine or its paper-leak, the immediate reason for protest and the demand for education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, but was moved by the astounding heavy-handedness and violence with which the police and the Centre Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) Rapid Action Force handled the Gen-Z protesters, rallied by the CJP. “Since the last two days I have been feeling agitated by the way Delhi Police hit students and youth of the country just for seeking accountability. Yesterday I couldn't resist myself and took a train in the morning along with another friend,” she told Academia360.

Similarly, it wasn’t the NEET paper leak that brought Virendra Singh, a second year BCom student from Batala, Punjab, to Jantar Mantar, but Delhi Police’s actions. Also landing on Thursday, July 23, he said: “It's my first day today at Jantar Mantar. After watching videos of the protest and after seeing so many people joining the movement, it encouraged me to come here even if alone.” His parents weren’t pleased with the decision but seeing the number of youth on the streets, he “couldn’t resist and took the first train”.

“This has happened due to the unprecedented gathering on July 20,” said Akash Bhattacharya, a lawyer and former faculty at Azim Premji University and OP Jindal University. “The government has been unable to contain the people because they are coming from all parts of India now after July 20. People are coming because of the problems related to the education system and employment that has built up including paper leaks, National Education Policy, school merger, Class 12 on-screen marking issue, mass privatisation and several others. And people are not getting jobs.” He is a member of the legal aid team to address the legal needs of the protestors.

Handmade placards by student protesters at Jantar Mantar. (Image: Academia360)

The fallout of CJP’s Chalo Sansad march has been massive. The monsoon session of parliament has seen repeated adjournments with no business done at all over the first week. Usually loathe to speak out, the prime minister, Narendra Modi has made multiple statements. On Thursday, he announced the establishment of fast-track courts to tackle paper leaks; by night, the higher education secretary, Vineet Joshi was transferred.

But along with pleas and pacifying statements, have come threats. Both Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University have made thinly-weiled threats at students and staff, warning them off joining the CJP protest. Earlier, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee attempted to gag its students. Since July 23, 16 metro stations have been shut along with internet shutdowns across the protest site; the local administration asked the Connaught Place shops and restaurants to close by 6:30 pm.

But the protest continues and spreads. The CJP organisers met government representatives at the Constitution Club of India today; Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on hunger strike, broke his fast last night. The government has reportedly sought time till Saturday to decide on Pradhan’s fate.

CJP Protest in Delhi: Churu, Ayodhya

Sumit Parikh, a 25-year old civil service aspirant from a village near Churu, Rajasthan, joined at 4 am on July 23. “We came early this morning and have been volunteering with food and medical aid. I am a student myself and have faced the brunt of a poor education system. The purpose of education is not to make someone poor but to progress in society. However, the current system with corruption and systemic failures has made us go back to ancient rather progressing us, the youth,” he said.

A 17-year old NEET aspirant came from Ayodhya. “I had come briefly in early July. But after I saw my own friends hit by lathis by Delhi police, I couldn't resist and wanted to join in solidarity,” he said.

Children too young to join entirely on their own were chaperoned by parents. “I have two boys,” said Aparna Sharma from Delhi who came with both, aged 15 and 19. “Today it is about these 20 kids and their parents but we also have children and they will also be appearing for these competitive exams tomorrow. If we don't stand for paper leaks and corruption tomorrow this may happen to us.” She was referring to the close to two-dozen suicides that followed the NEET 2026 paper leak in May.