CJP Holds the Line at Jantar Mantar After Monday’s Violent Clash

On Tuesday morning, July 20 2026, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was still camped at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, refusing to pack up after the turmoil that erupted the previous day. The mood was a mix of resolve and fatigue – some participants looked weary, others shouted slogans demanding accountability.

Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told reporters that the protest would go on “until the Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, steps down.” Ranka repeated the CJP’s long‑standing grievance: repeated leaks of the NEET‑UG examination paper, which the party says betray the nation’s students.

Violent scenes on Monday, July 19, have left more than 118 police and Central Armed Forces personnel injured, according to a post on the Delhi Police’s official X handle. Senior officers – a Special Commissioner, a Joint Commissioner, an Additional Commissioner and a Deputy Commissioner – are among those listed as wounded. Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar visited the hospitals, saying each injury “bears witness to dedication to duty.”

The protesters, however, painted a far grimmer picture of the police response. Ranka alleged that children were beaten, women were assaulted, and a volunteer was dragged by the hair. Names such as “Geetanjali ma’am” and “Sonam ji’s wife” were mentioned, though no independent verification has emerged yet.

Security forces have kept barricades and prohibitory orders in place around the historic monument, warning that any attempt to breach the cordon could spark fresh unrest. Still, the CJP’s resolve seems unshaken; volunteers continue to chant, hold placards, and even share tea while waiting for the day to end.

Neither the Ministry of Education nor Minister Pradhan has responded publicly to the latest demands. As the sun set over Delhi, the stand‑off at Jantar Mantar remained a stark reminder of how a single exam controversy can ripple out into a broader clash over governance, accountability, and the right to protest.