12,000 Protesters March Near Jantar Mantar Demanding Dharmendra Pradhan Resignation
On a rainy Monday morning, around 12,000 protesters marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament along Sansad Marg in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak. The "Sansad Chalo" protest march, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), also voiced support for activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is on an indefinite hunger strike.
By 11:48 AM, the massive crowd had gathered outside the National Education Institute for Tribal Affairs near Niti Aayog Bhawan, roughly two kilometres from the Parliament complex. Heavy security forces, including the Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF), deployed layers of barricades and riot control vehicles to block the protesters' path.
The demonstration drew citizens of various age groups from across India. Among the participants was Nitesh Verma, a 27-year-old IT professional from Jaipur, who arrived at 4:00 AM with his colleagues to protest against the state of the education system. Another group of women travelled from Jhajjar in Haryana to gather in solidarity near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel statue at Patel Chowk.
Wangchuk, whose hunger strike is aimed at securing education reforms, agreed to end his fast after the march under specific conditions. He demanded that the Centre accept responsibility for the NEET paper leak scandal and that MPs assure him and the CJP that the matter will be raised in the Parliament monsoon session, which commenced on Monday.
As the day progressed and the rain continued, the crowd swelled, leading to multiple blockades at key intersections. Protesters clashed with the police, who fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Double barricades were erected on roads abutting government buildings to sequester the demonstrators.
Additionally, a small group of protesters carrying placards demanding full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir gathered near the Central Bank of India at Jeevan Bima Nigam, though their chants were soon drowned out by the drums of the main CJP-led rally.
