Police dispersed protesters from Jantar Mantar using lathis and tear gas after demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament, leaving several people injured and scores detained.
BY PC Burau
New Delhi, July 20: Central Delhi witnessed dramatic scenes of violence and chaos on Monday as police cracked down on hundreds of protesters attempting to march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament, using lathis and tear gas to disperse demonstrators amid high security in the national capital.
The stage at Jantar Mantar, which had served as the focal point of Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite hunger strike and the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) sit-in protest, was dismantled by the Delhi Police on Monday. Authorities also cleared the entire protest site, removing tents, banners and other structures.
Police have since sealed off the designated protest area, barring the entry of demonstrators and effectively ending all protest activities at Jantar Mantar as security was tightened across the national capital amid the ongoing agitation.
Clashes erupted at multiple locations, including Jantar Mantar, Patel Chowk and roads leading towards Parliament, where protesters repeatedly attempted to breach police barricades despite prohibitory orders imposed in the area.
Jantar Mantar has now been cleared, obviously by using brutal force. pic.twitter.com/KMs3JLRB4p
— Dont Be Afraid (@RebelVista31) July 20, 2026
Television visuals and videos circulating on social media showed police personnel wielding batons as protesters ran for cover, while clouds of tear gas enveloped sections of the protest route. Several demonstrators were seen lying on the ground with visible injuries, including bleeding head wounds and bruises, as volunteers and fellow protesters rushed to assist them.
Eyewitnesses claimed that many protesters, including students, women and elderly participants, were struck during the police action. Several injured demonstrators were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, though authorities had not released an official figure on the number of injured by Monday evening.
जंतर-मंतर से आंदोलनकारियों को हटाया गया, मंच खाली करा दिया गया और टेंट भी उखाड़ दिए गए। इसके बाद कनॉट प्लेस में भी प्रदर्शनकारियों को पुलिस ने तितर-बितर किया। कार्रवाई के दौरान लाठीचार्ज की भी खबर है।
लोकतंत्र में विरोध का अधिकार और कानून-व्यवस्था—दोनों का संतुलन सबसे बड़ी कसौटी…
— Sanjay Yadav (@sanjayyadavij) July 20, 2026
Protest organisers accused Delhi Police of using excessive force to disperse what they described as a peaceful march.
READ: No Breakth rough in Talks, CJP Vows to Continue Protest
“We were only trying to march towards Parliament to submit our demands. Without adequate warning, police resorted to lathi charge and fired tear gas shells. Many people have suffered serious injuries,” one protest organiser alleged.
Several protesters alleged that they were beaten even after they had been detained, accusations that could not be independently verified.
The protest was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been spearheading demonstrations demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities. The movement has also sought the release of activist Sonam Wangchuk and compensation for families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide.
The confrontation came despite an earlier meeting between a CJP delegation and Union Minister J.P. Nadda, during which protesters submitted a memorandum outlining their demands. Following the talks, the CJP declared that no breakthrough had been achieved and announced that the agitation would continue.
When in his speech Modi was trolling RG at the entrance of the Parliament, the temple of Democracy, his police was beating the peaceful protestors .
Peak Dictatorship by Modi .
“शहीद होकर फिर जन्म लूँगा ” the police carried out a brutal lathi-charge at Jantar Mantar pic.twitter.com/pHBiebE3IG
— Harmeet Kaur K 🇮🇳 (@iamharmeetK) July 20, 2026
Delhi Police had deployed a massive security contingent across central Delhi ahead of the proposed Parliament march. Multi-layer barricades were erected near Patel Chowk, Janpath, Parliament Street and Vijay Chowk, while rapid action units and anti-riot personnel were stationed at key intersections to prevent protesters from entering the high-security zone.
As demonstrators attempted to push through barricades at several points, police moved in to disperse the crowds. Tear gas shells were fired at some locations after protesters allegedly tried to breach security cordons.
By late afternoon, the Jantar Mantar protest site had been vacated, with police removing banners, tents and public address systems. Scores of protesters were detained and taken away in buses, although many were released later.
The police have maintained that the action was taken to enforce prohibitory orders and prevent protesters from entering the Parliament complex, a high-security zone. Officials said necessary force was used to maintain law and order.
The protesters, however, accused the authorities of suppressing democratic dissent and vowed to continue their movement until their demands were met.
Monday’s confrontation marks one of the most intense police-protester clashes witnessed in the capital in recent months, raising fresh questions over the balance between maintaining public order and protecting the democratic right to peaceful protest.
