CJP’s Parliament march Live Updates: ‘Won’t move until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns’; CJP continues protest at Jantar Mantar | Delhi News

March to Parliament turns to chaos

They did not make it. All-out rioting and clashes raged for hours in the heart of Delhi, engulfing its iconic intersections around Jantar Mantar, as security forces cracked down on protesters with canes and tear-gas shells.

As darkness fell, it remained unclear where the battle lines stood. Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Gitanjali, Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, said they would continue their sit-in protest in the absence of a any commitment from the government.

Several protesters and security personnel were injured in the clashes, and police dismantled tents and other structures set up by the demonstrators as the march intensified. Mobile internet services around Jantar Mantar and Parliament were suspended.

Sonam Wangchuk’s new letter

In an apparent climbdown from his call for minister Dharmendra Pradahan’s resignation, Wangchuk, who remains admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, said he would continue his hunger strike until students’ concerns were raised in Parliament.

In a handwritten note to hospital authorities, he had earlier asked to be allowed to join Monday’s march, even temporarily.

He also offered to end his fast if the government accepted three conditions, including taking responsibility for recent failures in the education system and the NEET paper leak, or if political leaders met him in hospital and assured him the conditions would be met.

CJP’s first talks with government

CJP spokespersons Das and Ranka met Union Minister J P Nadda twice through the day, submitting a memorandum with three demands: Wangchuk’s unconditional release, the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

Nadda said the meeting was held in “a cordial atmosphere” and that the government would hold internal discussions on the demands. Ranka said the delegation had received no firm commitments.

“The minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far,” Das said in a post on X, adding that peaceful protesters would not relent until their demands were met.

CJP’s demands

Twenty-one students have died by suicide since the NEET paper leak in May, which had forced roughly 20 lakh students to resit the exam.

The memorandum submitted to Nadda also cited alleged irregularities in the CBSE Class XII portal and delays in CUET as part of a pattern of examination failures.

Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal extended solidarity to the protesters and condemned what they called police brutality.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament concluded on Monday amid repeated adjournments over Opposition sloganeering on the NEET paper leak.

Monday marked the 23rd day of the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar, which has seen a series of dramatic developments in recent days.

On Saturday, Delhi Police removed Wangchuk from the protest site and shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital, citing his deteriorating health. CJP founder Dipke then began his own hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar stage, ending it on Monday morning after Wangchuk sent word that Dipke would need his energy to continue leading the protest.

Our correspondents Alok Singh, Sakshi Chand, Pragynesh, Sohini Ghosh, Srirupa Goswami, Drishti Jain, Devansh Mittal, Swapnil Joglekar, Nirbay Thakur, Vidheesha Kunatamalla, Tabshir Shams, photographers Praveen Khanna and Tashi Tobgyal are bringing you the latest updates. On the desk, Merin Varghese, Navya Beri, Anupama Yadav, Richa Shrivastava Sudhakar Singh and Chithira N Raju are coordinating our coverage and news alerts.