(Ground Report by NewsGram Correspondents, Varsha Pant and Harsh Pandey)
ON JULY 20, 2026, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Delhi, with roads packed so densely that they were barely visible beneath the crowd. Protesters waved Indian flags, carried placards, and raised slogans in unison, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstrations, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), had been continuing at Jantar Mantar for a long time through hunger strikes and protests. It reached a new phase as CJP founder Abijeet Dipke led the march of thousands towards Parliament, accusing the education minister of failing to stop repeated examination paper leaks and of playing with the future of India's youth.
What began as a movement sparked by a remark from Chief Justice Surya Kant has now grown into something much larger. Initially driven largely by Gen Z students, the protest is no longer limited to one generation. At the protest site, people of all ages could be seen standing together. Some parents carried their babies, while elderly citizens in their seventies and eighties stood under the cloudy skies, joining the march towards Parliament in solidarity.
While we were trying to reach the protest site we got to know that reaching the location was itself a big task. Like thousands of other protesters, we travelled by the Delhi Metro, only to discover that several stations near the demonstration had been closed. Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, New Delhi, Patel Chowk, and several other nearby stations remained shut to manage the crowds. After getting off at a distant station, we followed the stream of protesters on foot until we reached the gathering.
Communication was also difficult. Many people at the site complained that signal jammers had disrupted mobile connectivity, making it hard to coordinate with others. We saw several protesters trying to locate their family members and friends but struggling to reach them because of the poor network connectivity. We were also one of them as we faced difficulties coordinating with our team.
The protest site was packed with people. Some had come with their families, while others arrived with friends or student groups— Students' Federation of India (SFI), All India Students' Federation (AISF), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and many more. At times, the gathering had the atmosphere of a mela (fair), with participants wearing costumes, carrying creative banners, waving the national flag, and singing patriotic songs accompanied by the dafli (tambourine). Alongside organised student groups were independent citizens who had come simply to add their voices to the movement.
Among the protesters were students, parents, and families who said they had been directly affected by repeated examination controversies. Some claimed they had lost educational or career opportunities because of alleged paper leaks, while others spoke of the emotional toll the uncertainty had taken on their families. Many expressed anger over police barricading and restrictions around the protest route, with their frustration clearly visible as they waited for permission to move forward.
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The protesters were initially frustrated as the police barricaded the route and asked them to end their march. They began pushing the barricades because the rally was supposed to proceed towards Parliament. Many people tried to move forward, while others sat on the ground due to the heat and the lack of adequate water supply. People were hungry and thirsty but continued protesting with songs like “Hum hunge kamiyab (We shall overcome),” “Mera Rang de basanti chola (Dye my robe in the colour of sacrifice).” Although some volunteers distributed water, it was not enough to cater to the massive crowd that had gathered.
The slogans heard during the protest included "Dharmendra Pradhan Istifa Do! (Dharmendra Pradhan, resign from your position!)," "Modi Jab Jab Darta Hai, Police Ko Aage Karta Hai (Whenever Modi fears something, he puts the police in front)," and several "Jai Bhim" slogans. Protesters also used foul language while referring to political leaders, expressing frustration over police crackdown on the peaceful protesters and what they described as the government's failure to address their concerns.
Many protesters also raised slogans calling for freedom, revolution, and change, demanding a better future for students affected by repeated examination controversies. These included "Inquilab Zindabad (Long live the revolution!)," "Aawaz Do, Hum Ek Hain (Raise your voice, we are united!)," and "Julmi Jab Jab Julm Karega Satta Ke Galiyaron Se, Chappa Chappa Gunj Uthega Inquilab Ke Naron Se (Whenever the tyrant commits oppression from the corridors of power, every inch of the land will resound with cries of revolution)."
The protest also featured a wide variety of creative posters and pamphlets, including memes, copies of the Preamble to the Constitution, and pocket editions of the Constitution. Many participants carried portraits of the architect of the Indian Constitution Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, and Mahatma Gandhi. Children were also seen carrying Indian flags and shouting patriotic slogans such as "Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Victory to Mother India!)" and "Vande Mataram."
One protester held a crumpled placard that read, "Free Balls for Politicians Who Have Lost Theirs." Another poster read, "I don't need seks, the government fks me every day." One placard asked, "Do they fear dialogue so much that they had to resort to force?" Some protesters carried handwritten poems, while others displayed Hindi slogans such as "Jab Tak Kursi Chhutegi Nahi, Ye Hartal Tutegi Nahi (Until the government is removed from power, our strike will not end)."
There were also many protesters sitting in corners holding hand-drawn cartoons related to the government, alleged examination paper leaks, and student issues. Some posters featured Sonam Wangchuk, urging people who were still at home to join the protest. One placard quoted Mark Twain, reading: "Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason."
Students were also sitting on hunger strike in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk. One of them was facing a medical emergency as his blood pressure levels were being monitored on the protest site. One person taking care of him told us that the student has been on hunger strike for 23 days and was being treated there.
Protesters present on the site were not able to communicate properly as they allege that police had planted jammers in the area. “The public does not know where to go as there is no network in the area. No communication is possible,” a protestor who was in his early 20s said. “Some people are going to Parliament, others are going to the protest site. It is chaotic.” He also informed that there were barricades and buses set up to block the march but the protestors broke them and kept going.
There were not only medical students present in the protest. A law student from Greater Noida, named Aditya Yadav, had a skeptical attitude regarding the protest as he called it a “time-waste” for people. “This is not even getting attention from the opposition. Many political leaders came and left after marking their attendance. They are not supporting the cause by giving their full time to this. Even half of these protesters don’t know the agenda, they are just sheep following the crowd. The corrupt government will stay corrupt.”
Anusha, a political science student from Delhi University shared that this Jantar Mantar protest is a frustration of over decades of paper leaks, no matter the government. She said, “Dharmendra Pradhan is not able to handle the education ministry, so he should just resign. There should be equality and transparency in the examinations. And if our demands are not met we will continue our protest with even more agitation.” When asked about the CJP’s new demands to sack the entire cabinet, including the PM, the DU student said that it was a response to the “barbaric, rude, and disgusting” act of forcibly shifting Sonam Wangchuk to the hospital when he was just doing a peaceful protest. “The white sheets taking him (Wangchuk) out of Jantar Mantar marked the death of democracy. It has sparked even more rage in youth that now they will demand the resignation of the entire government and Narendra Modi.”
Ragini, a film-making and acting student, who had given entrance examination for Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), claimed that even her exams were leaked causing her years of trouble and physical pain. She said, “I had prepared for four months for my FTII exam. I used to attend my Kathak and acting class in between, then I used to sit in the library from 7 pm to 4-5 am in the morning. Then, the next day the same routine starts at 11 am. Throughout those 4 months of preparation, I was surviving on 3-4 hours of sleep everyday."
Ragini claims that this strenuous routine eventually caused her lower back pain, and she can’t even walk without a lumbar belt. Despite all those months of hard work, she claimed the FTII paper was leaked and when it was time for the re-test she couldn’t give that exam due to her physical therapy. “There are only 11 seats for that course. I was spending 16 hours a day at the library and now I have turned 27. My family is pressuring me to get married now. Who will marry me? I can’t even stand for 10 minutes.” Yet, she stood firm for her ideals and thought that fighting for the betterment of the education system is worth the pain.
One question was also regarding activist Sonam Wangchuk’s change in demands, concerning his deteriorating health. A letter written by the Ladakhi activist from his hospital ward was shared yesterday before the Chalo Sansad March. In his letter, Wangchuk laid out three conditions to end his hunger strike, none of which were the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. When asked whether this was a backfoot from Wangchuk, protestors on ground maintained that their demand remains the same and accountability should be taken by the government.
A philosophy student from Delhi, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “Yeah, it seems they got a little lenient, I believe they shouldn’t have done that. But his (Wangchuk's) condition should also be taken into consideration, as we don’t know what he is facing. We can’t call it a backstep right now. I don’t think, the kind of person he is, he will back down, the protest will continue.”
While Wangchuk has not asked for the resignation as one of his demands to end his fast, CJP and Abhijeet Dipke maintain that they will not settle for anything less than sacking the Union Education Minister. The philosophy student, when asked about CJP and Dipke said, “Yeah, he is also doing good work. He studied from University of Boston, and has now returned for a cause, raising his voice for the youth. It is great.”
We also saw a vandalized Maruti Van with windshield and windows shattered near the police barricades and parked buses to stop protestors. A couple of students were sitting on top of the broken vehicle. When we asked about what happened there, the students said that the broken van was already set up by the police to show that protestors are causing ruckus. The placement of the car was also odd as it wasn’t placed as an obstruction for the protestors. The students alleged that it was already damaged when it arrived. “This was already planted by the police to show the protestors are causing vandalism. It was already broken, though some protestors stepped on it to pass through the crowd, so it got even more damaged, but it was all a ploy from the police,” said Himesh Kumar, a medical student from Alwar, Rajasthan, sitting on top of the broken vehicle.
Dilip, a consultancy service employee from Mumbai, who had traveled to Delhi for protest, alleged that he was struck with lathi on his head and another woman was so brutally beaten that she started bleeding. We couldn’t confirm the alleged attack on woman on our own, but according to him, the woman was taken to the hospital by the police themselves after getting beaten up. “They are the ones who beat us, and then they are the ones who are taking us to the hospital.” The Mumbai resident continued, “Police don’t have badges. They are hitting even those who are sitting peacefully. There was no commotion, yet they started lathi charge from their own end. A woman’s leg was broken, she was beaten so brutally. Even I was in the front and I was struck in the head. There is no stampede-like situation, police are creating ruckus on their own.”
When asked about the protest and its demands, he said, “Resignation is only the starting point, gradually we will kick out all the corrupt individuals and rapists from the government.”
While there were a handful of detractors, the agitation of the protestors was real. The displeasure from the government over education irregularities is finally reaching a boiling point as many believed in the cause. People were also praiseworthy of Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijeet Dipke’s effort to raise the issues that plague the youth.
We also witnessed a government office nearby, where workers were standing behind caged doors, in their office premises, distributing water to the protestors. They were even cheering the protestors’ slogans against the police. When we asked them for the interview, they refused as they didn’t want to be reported while helping the voices against the regime that pays their bills.
As rain poured on the protest site, the people sitting on the roads took refuge on the footpath, under a roof or the shade of the tree, while our team also returned to our abode. After we returned, CJP spokesperson Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka shared an update through X that they had a meeting with JP Nadda, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, laying out their demands. The CJP announced that the immediate action should be to sack Dharmendra Pradhan and they will continue their strike until that is achieved.
Reacting to the parliament march, Sonam Wangchuk issued a statement on X, writing, “I will continue my fast. Seeing the brutality with which peacefully protesting youth are being dealt with, I have decided to continue my fast until the youth leaders are allowed to meet the Parliamentarians at the Sansad Bhawan or I am allowed to meet them here at the Hospital. Hopefully, government will fix the accountability of education minister before that.”
He continued, “I am touched & moved by how the youth have held on to peace despite provocation and I appeal to the Govt & Police force to resolve the issue by simply allowing the students to present their grievances before the Parliament today or tomorrow. I'm sure the young protesters will show the same patience and tolerance tomorrow as they did today.”
There has been no update on his health today, but it remains a concern for the protesters and political leaders, particularly opposition leaders. As thousands of protestors almost reached Parliament the question is: Will the Modi government bow down to their demands? And how long can the 59-year-old activist continue his hunger strike for his ideals? One thing that we can report is that the agitation and sense of fight within the students and even some middle-aged people was strong on a working Monday as they flooded the streets.
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