LIVE: Fresh police crackdown on Jantar Mantar protesters; tear gas fired, internet cut off
Sonam Wangchuk offers to end fast if govt spares students; Rahul says agitation stems from "rigged" education system, rising education costs, unemployment
Wearing black clothes, leaders of several Opposition parties on Wednesday (July 22) staged a protest outside Parliament to express solidarity with students protesting against the NEET paper leak issue.
Also read: Dharmendra Pradhan a 'big liability', should have quit: Renuka Chowdhury
The Opposition MPs raised slogans against the government and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the police action against protesting students.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were among those who joined the protest.
Also read: Pradhan slams Congress for 'shamelessly exploiting students as political tools'
MPs of the Congress, SP, Left parties, RJD, TMC, JMM and other parties were present during the protest, during which they raised slogans against the government.
16 Delhi Metro stations closed
Meanwhile, the closure of 16 metro stations by the DMRC due to "security reasons" amid the ongoing CJP protest on Wednesday left hundreds of office-goers, students and other commuters stranded, forcing many to change routes midway, exit at unfamiliar stations and scramble for alternative transport during the morning rush.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Wednesday morning closed 16 Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, ITO and Khan Market, citing "security reasons".
The closures come amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar.
For many, it was the second such disruption within a week, adding to frustration over repeated delays to their daily commute. A similar shutdown happened on Monday.
Passengers said trains continued to run on several stretches but skipped closed stations, leaving them with little option but to travel further and retrace their journey by road.
Follow live updates of CJP’s protest and the Parliament Monsoon Session, here.
Live Updates
- 22 July 2026 10:35 AM IST
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- 22 July 2026 9:15 AM IST
FIR registered over assault of RAF jawan, police say
An FIR has been registered in connection with a video showing a Rapid Action Force (RAF) jawan being chased and assaulted allegedly by a group of protesters during the CJP's march, police said on Wednesday.
The video, shared widely across social media platforms, purportedly showed the RAF jawan being surrounded, chased and thrashed by several protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party's march towards Parliament on Monday to demand accountability from the government over alleged examination irregularities.
Police said the FIR had been registered in connection with the incident and an investigation launched to identify those involved in the assault.
- 22 July 2026 9:15 AM IST
Our full solidarity: Mamata slams police action at Delhi protests, supports Opposition sit-in
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee called the police action at the protests in Delhi over NEET paper leak "unacceptable", and said her party supports the sit-in by the opposition in the national capital.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and several other senior leaders sat on a dharna outside the prime minister's residence in Delhi on Tuesday, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the police action against students protesting the NEET paper leak.
"The police atrocities on our youth in Delhi are unacceptable. Shame on the Union government. The All India Trinamool Congress fully supports the sit-down protest by the Opposition today near Akbar Road. Our full solidarity," Banerjee said in a social media post.
"There were also police atrocities in Kolkata all through last night. BJP goons did all they could to disrupt preparations for our Martyrs' Day programme. They arrived on motorcycle squads, destroyed signage, vandalised the stage and deliberately cut microphone wires. Many youth were threatened and injured by these goons," she alleged in the post on Tuesday night.
- 22 July 2026 8:17 AM IST
Sanjay Singh gives Suspension of Business Notice in RS with demand to discuss NEET issue
AAP MP Sanjay Singh has given a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha with a demand to discuss the NEET-UG question paper leak, the failure of the public examination system, police action against protesters, and the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk.
- 22 July 2026 8:15 AM IST
Protests in New York, San Jose in support of Wangchuk
Activists from a US-based advocacy group held demonstrations in New York and San Jose to express solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET exams.
Activists from the 'Hindus for Human Rights' gathered at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in New York City's Union Square and San Jose on Monday evening carrying placards bearing slogans in support of Wangchuk.
The activists also raised slogans against the Indian government and demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Similar solidarity demonstrations were also held outside the Indian High Commission in London and the Indian Embassy in Dublin, the Hindus for Human Rights said in a statement in Washington on Tuesday.
"Our protests sent a clear message, whether in New York or London, San Jose or Dublin: India's students deserve to be treated with fairness and dignity," the group said in a statement.
"The youth of India deserve honest answers and a future they can trust. The Indian citizenry deserves open dialogue and reform, and it is time for the Indian government to take accountability," it said.
- 22 July 2026 8:14 AM IST
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- 22 July 2026 8:12 AM IST
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