The Delhi Police said on Monday that protesters displayed 'unruly, aggressive, violent' behaviour during their protest.

It added that despite repeated warnings and lawful directions, protesters refused to disperse and violated prohibitory orders.

According to a senior police officer, over 100 police personnel got injured today. 70 protestors were detained by the police.

Underscoring that the protesting students in the national capital are "demanding their rights", Rahul Gandhi disagreed with the way the protest was handled by the Centre, saying "tear-gassing and lathicharging" them is neither "democratic" nor "India's way".

The Delhi Police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters on Monday as they tried to march on parliament to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over irregularities in major examinations, including question paper leaks and technical glitches.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk announced today he would continue his fast until youth leaders are allowed to meet MPs in parliament or they come to the hospital in Delhi where he is admitted.

Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, shared on social media a handwritten message from her husband that offered solidarity to the protesters under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political group that has been demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak.

Accusing the police of "brutality" against CJP protestors, activist Sonam Wangchuk wrote in a note that he will continue his hunger strike. 

Saurav Das, chief spokesperson, Cockroach Janta Party said the protest will continue until their demands are met.

"I have been at J.P. Nadda’s residence since 12 noon. The demands have been conveyed, including immediate resignation/sacking of Dharmendra Pradhan. The Minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far. The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met," he wrote on X.

Hearing a petition claiming surveillance of protesters at the Cockroach Janta Party-led sit-in at Jantar Mantar, the Delhi High Court has asked the police whether Supreme Court guidelines on the issue were being followed. 

The Delhi Police have appealed to all protesters to exercise restraint and cooperate with the police in maintaining peace and law and order.

In a post on X, the police wrote, "All protesters are requested to demonstrate peacefully. Do not engage in any illegal or violent activity and follow the lawful instructions given by the police personnel on duty. The public is advised not to believe or spread rumours, misinformation, or unverified information through any social media platform. Citizens are requested to rely only on reliable sources of information and cooperate with the Delhi Police in maintaining peace, harmony, and law and order."

After meeting with the representatives of the CJP, Union Health Minister JP Nadda has urged protesters to end their sit-in agitation.

"This morning, for the first time, the protesters offered to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. A detailed verbal discussion with their delegation took place, and they submitted a written memorandum to me around 4 PM. I requested all protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy," he wrote on X in Hindi.

Government sources have told NDTV that there won't be a forceful evacuation of protestors from Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

Health Minister JP Nadda met with a CJP delegation in the national capital. The activism group submitted a letter of demands to the senior politician.

The central government has held a meeting with the Cockroach Janata Party, BJP sources told NDTV.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has extended his support to the CJP protesters in Delhi. 

"Students from across India who converged to demand justice over the #NEET paper-leak scandal are being beaten up with lathis and tear gas when they were marching to Parliament to draw attention to their struggle," he wrote in a post on X.

He added, "I firmly stand with India's students, and we demand an immediate end to police brutality, accountability in the NEET and other paper leaks scandal."

The Samajwadi Party claimed Monday afternoon that Lok Sabha MP Dimple Yadav and other SP leaders had been detained by Delhi Police after they joined Cockroach Janta Party protest.

A social media post from the party's official X handle read: "The detention of Lok Sabha MP Dimple Yadav Ji, who was raising the voice of students in Delhi, and other SP MPs by the police, along with the lathi charge on students, is highly condemnable and undemocratic."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah is meeting Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Parliament amid CJP's protest march.

The security forces used tear gas shells to disperse thousands of supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) who gathered in Delhi to march to the Parliament on the first day of the monsoon session on Monday, despite police denying permission for the protest.

The police also used sticks and batons to disperse the crowd, mostly youngsters, who had converged at the Jantar Mantar protest site for the "Chalo Sansad" march. READ MORE

VIDEO | CJP march: Police baton-charge protesters near Parliament Street
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/3glU8tBhnx

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 20, 2026

Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his indefinite hunger strike at the request of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is currently admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.

Dipke had begun the fast after Wangchuk was hospitalised on July 18, when his own 21-day hunger strike necessitated medical intervention.

#WATCH | Delhi: Moment when the founding president of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, ended his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/na3njYX0ZX

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2026

The Delhi High Court on Monday declined to urgently list a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the removal of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18, observing that the petitioner was only seeking a declaration that the action was illegal, which did not warrant immediate hearing.

The PIL was mentioned before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.

"My prayer is that whatever action was taken by the police officials in removing Wangchuk Sir from the protest site to the hospital was illegal because it violates Articles 14 and 19," the petitioner told the Bench.

Questioning the urgency, Chief Justice Upadhyaya remarked, "What is the urgency? That can be declared illegal even on Wednesday. You are seeking a declaration that can be made the day after tomorrow also."

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike and admitted at the Safdarjung Hospital, has requested authorities to leave - even if temporarily - to join CJP's Parliament protest march today.

"This is to state that I am feeling very fine today and my health parameters are also showing quite normal. Hence I request you to kindly allow me to leave the hospital, even if temporarily so that I can join the march to the Parliament. I shall be most grateful," he wrote.

As the CJP actvisists continued their attempt to stage a protest march to Parliament on Monday, Cockroach Janta Party chief spokesperson Saurav Das was taken to the Deputy Commissioner's office, with him stating that there is ongoing dialogue between the authorities and them.

Asked about the development, Das told ANI, "We are in talks (with the government)."

#WATCH | Delhi: Saurav Das, Chief Spokesperson, Cockroach Janta Party, exits from the office of the Deputy Commissioner, as protestors have gathered at Jantar Mantar for protest march. pic.twitter.com/koXnIlxQAl

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2026

The Opposition is planning to raise the clash between Cockroach Janta Party protesters and Delhi police at Jantar Mantar in both the Houses in Parliament.

Members of the National Conference (NC) party are heading to Delhi's Jantar Mantar to join Cockroach Janta Party's Parliament protest march.

The Delhi police had denied the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) the permission to hold the Parliament protest march and banned large gatherings. They had also warned that any person violating the prohibitory orders could face action.

"Protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more persons are strictly prohibited, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar, with prior permission," the police said in a post on X.

🚨Prohabitory orders u/s 163 BNSS are in force in New Delhi District except designated protest site at Jantar Mantar Road.
Further, no permission has been sought or granted for any proposed march to Parliament on 20 July 2026.
Citizens are advised not to participate in any… pic.twitter.com/aUio5slVM6

— Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) July 19, 2026

Chaos prevailed at several metro stations in the national capital on Monday after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed five stations over security concerns ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protest march to Parliament, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded and forcing many to take longer routes to their destinations.

At Rajiv Chowk, one of the capital's busiest interchange stations, commuters were seen crowding near the closed entry and exit gates.

At Patel Chowk station, security personnel used mild force to disperse people who were on their way to the CJP's protest site at Jantar Mantar.

Mobile internet shut in parts of Central Delhi ahead of CJP’s march to Parliament.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for more than 20 days, has agreed to end his fast today only if his three conditions are fulfilled.

In a handwritten letter shared from what he described as his "illegal detention" at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, Wangchuk said his first condition is if the government takes accountability of the alleged "failures" in the education system - especially the recent NEET question paper leaks. His second condition is if political leaders assure him that the paper leak issue would be raised in the Parliament.

In his third demand, Wangchuk said top political leaders must visit him at the hospital and give assurance of the other two conditions - if his health and other factors do not allow him to be a part of the Parliament march today. READ MORE

WHEN WILL I END THE FAST….!
Not withstanding my health my fast continues till after the Sansad Chalo March, and will be broken only under the following circumstances… pic.twitter.com/kaOGx2Nk4T

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 20, 2026

The Cockroach Janta party has urged all of its supporters who have gathered for the protest march to Parliament to remain calm - shortly after they clashed with Delhi police at Jantar Mantar.

"The Police is making it hard for some of you with many Metro stations closed. Even if you've been stopped at certain points, remain calm and maintain peace. We will only win this with peace and love," they said.

Gitanjali Angmo, activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, said that she will focus on the Parliament march today.

"Three points are very important today. We will focus on conducting the march peacefully. Let us stay focused on the issue - the issue of education, which is a vital need for this country and remain vigilant," she said.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk had shared a handwritten note from what he described as his "illegal detention" at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital. Still on hunger strike despite being removed from Jantar Mantar, he urged his supporters to make the protest march to Parliament a "big success".

But as he remains hospitalised, frail and weak after three weeks of hunger strike, his wife Gitanjali J Angmo vowed to lead the march.

Wangchuk had been at the centre of the protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. In his note, he described the protest as "India's 2nd freedom movement", calling for "freedom from injustice (like paper leaks)" and "freedom from fear (my illegal detention)."

Message from Sonam :
20th JULY
आज़ादी का दूसरा आन्दोलन
भय मुक्त भारत, अन्याय मुक्त भारत
Freedom from injustice (Like paper leaks)
Freedom from Fear (my illegal detention)
India’s 2nd FREEDOM MOVEMENT
March to the Parliament
Please make it a big success
Sent through… pic.twitter.com/XYeUXgUxJH

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 19, 2026

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters and the police clashed ahead of their proposed "Chalo Sansad" march on the first day of the monsoon session of the Parliament on Monday.

The police resorted to a 'lathi-charge' as the CJP supporters began the march. READ MORE

Lathicharge By Cops, Chaos Ahead Of CJP's March To Parliamenthttps://t.co/0M4dZGWUQu
NDTV's @tejshreethought joins @Vasudha156 with more details from Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/gXmJvIbkpR

— NDTV (@ndtv) July 20, 2026

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its supporters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to begin its 'Chalo Sansad' protest march today.

They are protesting against alleged irregularities in NEET -- the national entrance test for medical colleges -- and to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.