Delhi Police lathicharge CJP protesters as 'Chalo Sansad' march sparks high drama

Police used batons to disperse the swelling crowd at Jantar Mantar, the epicentre of the protests, after demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament despite being denied permission.

Authorities had erected multiple layers of barricades around the protest site and deployed heavy security personnel to prevent the march from proceeding towards the Parliament complex.

The CJP has been spearheading protests against the Centre over the alleged NEET paper leak and broader concerns surrounding the country's education system.

The "Chalo Sansad" march was called to press for action on these demands on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Several Opposition leaders joined the protest in solidarity with the demonstrators despite the police denying permission for the march.

Among those present were Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, who participated in the protest at Jantar Mantar.

Education reform activist Sonam Wangchuk has said he is willing to end his indefinite hunger strike on Monday if political leaders visit him at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital and commit to raising the issue of education accountability during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, according to his wife, Gitanjali Angmo.

Speaking to the media, Angmo said Wangchuk's demand goes beyond his personal protest and seeks a broader political commitment to initiate a parliamentary discussion on reforms and accountability in India's education system. Parliament's Monsoon Session is scheduled to begin on Monday.

The development comes as Wangchuk remains under medical supervision at Safdarjung Hospital after being shifted there following concerns over his health during the prolonged fast. Hospital authorities have described his condition as stable while continuing to monitor him closely.

On Saturday, Delhi Police and medical personnel shifted Wangchuk from the protest site at Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated following three weeks of fasting, a move his supporters criticised as involuntary while authorities maintained it was necessary on medical grounds.

Sonam Wangchuk's current protest began on June 28 at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where he launched an indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) following the NEET paper leak controversy and broader concerns over the integrity of India's examination system.

The protesters' principal demand is the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, arguing that political accountability must accompany repeated examination irregularities. Wangchuk has described the campaign as India's "Second Freedom Movement", linking it to the aspirations of millions of young Indians frustrated by exam leaks, unemployment and what they see as a lack of accountability in governance.