Police Use Tear Gas as NEET Protesters March Near Parliament in New Delhi
Security forces deployed tear gas and charged with lathis to disperse hundreds of students and young professionals protesting at Jantar Mantar and Tolstoy Road in New Delhi on Monday. The demonstration, organized by the CJP over the alleged mismanagement of the NEET examination, escalated into clashes as protesters breached barricades and marched toward Parliament.
The CJP had been camping at Jantar Mantar for nearly a month before Monday's escalation. By 9:30 AM, the crowd of protesters had grown significantly, with many climbing the double-layered barricades welded together by the police.
At 11:30 AM, Gitanjali Anngmo, the wife of Sonam Wangchuk, announced that activist Dipke would end his two-day hunger strike to lead the march. After breaking his fast with a glass of juice, Dipke announced that the march would be led by Anngmo and the father of Riya Kumari, a 24-year-old NEET aspirant who allegedly died by suicide in Dehradun last month.
The protest convoy moved toward Kerala Bhavan around 12:10 PM, where they were stopped by paramilitary personnel in riot gear. Dipke instructed the crowd to sit on the road, announcing that a delegation including Ashutosh Ranka was meeting with Union Minister J P Nadda.
Despite the ongoing talks, tension grew as the crowd repeatedly pressed against the barricades. Around 1:00 PM, a group of protesters overturned a barricade and threw bottles and slippers at security forces, who responded with a lathicharge.
By 1:30 PM, the situation escalated further as protesters pushed through barricades on Tolstoy Marg and poured onto Sansad Marg, defying prohibitory orders. Abhishek Kumar, a 19-year-old BCom student, was among those who joined the push.
When the crowd reached the intersection of Ashoka Road and Sansad Marg—about 700 meters from Parliament—police fired multiple tear gas shells and used lathis to force the protesters back to Jantar Mantar. The police subsequently demolished the protest stage.
