Expired tear‑gas shell alleged as Delhi police clash with ‘Chalo Sansad’ protesters

On July 20, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) organised a “Chalo Sansad” march that quickly turned chaotic. Students, activists and a few colourful participants – some even dressed as cockroaches – set off from Jantar Mantar, intent on reaching the Parliament building.

Things took a sharp turn when they ran into a line of police barricades outside Parliament Street Police Station. Within minutes the standoff spilled over to Patel Chowk and the Rail Bhawan area, where police resorted to lathicharge and tear‑gas shells to push the crowd back.

According to the Delhi Police, more than 50 of its personnel were injured in the melee. The CJP, on the other hand, says the number of hurt protesters was much higher, with several reports of severe injuries.

What has set social media abuzz, however, is a short Instagram clip posted by user @imrealshivam. In the video the demonstrator holds up a recovered tear‑gas canister, pointing to the imprint that reads “manufactured 2022 – expiry 2025”. He claims the shell was already past its useful life when police fired it into the crowd.

The clip has racked up over 1.2 million views, prompting politicians from across the spectrum to condemn the handling of the protest. Critics argue that using an expired munition not only violates safety norms but also adds a layer of indignity to an already tense situation.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had earlier called for the march and later required hospitalisation, had urged students to converge in large numbers to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan – a figure blamed for the botched NEET exams earlier this year.

The march began at the long‑standing CJP sit‑in at Jantar Mantar, which has been in place since June 20, and coincided with the opening day of Parliament’s Monsoon Session. As protesters pressed forward, police used both physical force – beating with sticks – and chemical deterrents, leading to dozens of injuries on both sides.

While videos of the police crackdown have drawn widespread criticism, the alleged use of an expired tear‑gas shell adds a new twist to the narrative, raising questions about equipment checks and accountability within the Delhi Police force.