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 5:13 PM IST
Rajya Sabha adjourned till Thursday as govt, Opposition spar over NEET issue
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Wednesday (July 22) after heated exchanges between the government and the Opposition over the NEET paper leak issue.
The House witnessed multiple adjournments for the third consecutive day as Opposition parties led by the Congress disrupted proceedings, protesting against Monday's police action on students demonstrating over the alleged NEET examination paper leak.
The government agreed to discuss the issue in Parliament, but the Opposition wanted the discussion to be held under Rule 267, and also laid down the condition of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation before such a debate is taken up.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress party of not allowing a discussion by adding new conditions for taking up the matter in the House.
- 22 July 2026 5:09 PM IST
Delhi HC dismisses PIL over Sonam Wangchuk's removal from Jantar Mantar
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday (July 22) dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) against the forcible shifting of activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar protest site to Safdarjung Hospital on the 21st day of his hunger strike over alleged examination irregularities.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that the issue of the educationist's hospitalisation at Safdarjung Hospital was earlier raised by his wife before the high court and the matter was "disposed of to their satisfaction".
Asserting that the concerns and prayers in relation to the incident cannot be permitted to be raised again, the bench asked petitioner Shakeel Abbas to lodge an FIR in case he was still aggrieved.
- 22 July 2026 5:04 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi claims even police are unhappy with crackdown on student protest
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that even police personnel were unhappy with the government's handling of the student protests, calling the alleged examination irregularities "a crime against the future of the country".He further alleged that while detaining him during Tuesday's protest, some police personnel told him to continue working towards "removing the government". Rahul did not provide evidence to support the claim. - 22 July 2026 5:00 PM IST
Treat me worse, I don't care; focus on NEET, education: Rahul Gandhi
Downplaying the controversy over his detention during Tuesday (July 22)'s protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the manner in which he was treated was of no consequence to him.
He said the focus should instead remain on the alleged paper leaks, the NEET controversy and the state of the country's education system. Responding to the government's charge that he had crossed a line, Rahul said the allegation had "no consequence" for him.
- 22 July 2026 4:55 PM IST
'Govt's refusal to debate forced protest outside PM's residence'
Explaining why he led the protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition had a responsibility to stand with students on the streets while they were protesting.He said the Opposition's "natural space" was Parliament and that, before marching to the Prime Minister's residence, it had sought the Lok Sabha Speaker's permission to discuss the issue during the Monsoon Session.According to Rahul , the Speaker said he would consult the government, and the Opposition agreed. However, he alleged that the government did not allow a discussion on the issue, leaving the Opposition with no option but to stage the protest. - 22 July 2026 4:41 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi backs students, reiterates three key demands
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said he stood firmly with the protesting students and endorsed their three key demands.
He called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to students over the alleged examination irregularities, and demanded strict action against those responsible for the alleged assault on student protesters.
- 22 July 2026 4:40 PM IST
Rahul Gandhi lists three reasons behind student protests
Addressing the media, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the ongoing student protests were driven by three key issues.
First, he alleged that India's education system had been "rigged", claiming there had been around 152 paper leaks that affected nearly 7.5 crore students.
Second, he pointed to the rising cost of education, saying families spend about Rs 1.32 lakh crore annually on NEET preparation, almost matching the Centre's Rs 1.4 lakh crore education budget, and argued that parents are spending on a single examination what the government allocates for the entire education sector.
Third, he said rising unemployment had deepened the frustration among students and youth across the country.
- 22 July 2026 4:39 PM IST
'Families spending nearly as much as on NEET as Govt does on education'
During a press briefing, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the student protests were driven by the rising cost of education. He claimed that families collectively spend around Rs 1.32 lakh crore every year preparing for NEET alone, almost matching the Centre's annual education budget of Rs 1.4 lakh crore.
He argued that parents are spending nearly as much on a single examination as the government allocates for the entire education sector.
- 22 July 2026 4:18 PM IST
SC bar bodies condemn police action on students, lawyers during Jantar Mantar protest
Two Supreme Court bar bodies on Wednesday condemned the police action on students and lawyers during the July 20 protests in Jantar Mantar and called for an impartial inquiry into the "excessive use of force" and fixing accountability.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), headed by its president and senior advocate Vikas Singh, in a resolution, said the police action left several students and members of the legal fraternity, including members of the association, injured.
In a separate statement, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), expressed deep concern over "reports and visuals showing the use of force by Delhi Police against students and young protesters who had assembled to peacefully voice their grievances over the integrity of public examinations and the future of the country's youth".
The SCBA resolution, issued by its secretary Pragya Baghel, said, "The use of excessive and disproportionate force against peaceful students and members of the Bar is deeply disturbing and wholly unacceptable in a democratic society."
The bar body urged the authorities concerned to conduct an immediate, impartial and time-bound inquiry into the incident, identify those responsible for the alleged excessive use of force, and initiate appropriate action in accordance with law.
- 22 July 2026 4:14 PM IST
Karnataka BJP stages protest against Cong, accuses Rahul of politicising NEET paper leak
The Karnataka BJP on Wednesday took out a counter-protest march towards the Congress office in Bengaluru against the ruling party's demonstration near the BJP headquarters at Malleshwaram in the city.
Earlier in the day, the Congress workers staged a protest outside the BJP state office against the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protest was in line with the Congress central leadership's support to the students' agitation led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in New Delhi.
The BJP leaders and workers were blocked and taken into preventive custody even before they could reach their destination.
Speaking to reporters, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka charged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was indulging in politics though many people have been arrested in connection with the NEET question paper leak case.
"I condemn the Congress for extending support to the CJP. Gandhi is doing seditious activities by staging demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s residence in New Delhi," Ashoka alleged.
