CJP Supporters Defy Lathicharge, Tear Gas During Parliament March

Despite heavy barricading, alleged police action and the use of tear gas, protesters participating in the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march to Parliament on Monday vowed to continue their agitation, saying they would not end the movement until their demands—including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan—were met.

The protest, which drew students and supporters from Delhi as well as several other states, was halted near Parliament Street after Delhi Police erected multiple layers of barricades to prevent demonstrators from entering the high-security zone around Parliament. Protesters alleged they were subjected to a lathicharge and tear gas while attempting to move forward, but maintained that the confrontation had only strengthened their resolve.

‘We Will Not Turn Back’

Many participants said they had anticipated resistance from the authorities and were prepared to continue protesting despite the police action.

“They tried to stop us multiple times. There was heavy barricading all along the route. We also faced lathicharge and tear gas, but we will not turn back,” said Glory, a Delhi University student who joined the march.

Several students accused the government of ignoring their concerns despite weeks of demonstrations, hunger strikes and public appeals.

“A country that does not care about its students is bound to fall,” one student protester said, arguing that the government had failed to respond meaningfully to the issues raised by students.

Delhi University student Sanskriti Kumar said the movement would continue until the Union Education Minister stepped down.

“All we want is Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. We are not asking for something impossible that the government cannot fulfil. We are not turning around today; if we have come this far, we will see this through till the end,” she said.

The protest also saw participation from supporters beyond the student community. Kaniz Fatima, a 52-year-old Jamia Millia Islamia alumna, said she had been visiting the protest site at Jantar Mantar since the agitation began and had also been supporting activists who have been on an indefinite hunger strike for the past three weeks.

Questioning the police response to the demonstration, Fatima said citizens had a democratic right to express dissent.

“Is this not our country? Do we, as citizens, not have the right to raise questions and challenge situations we do not agree with? Why are they resorting to lathicharge against students who have come here only to demand their rights?” she asked.

Calling the protest a decisive moment, she added, “This is do or die. A lot of people have sacrificed a great deal for us to stand here today. We cannot lose momentum now, or we may never be able to rise again and demand what is rightfully ours.”

Protesters allege excessive force, vow to continue agitation

Several protesters also alleged that they were handled roughly by police during the clashes.

Seventeen-year-old Anshika from Delhi’s Badarpur said she had told her family she was going to school before joining the demonstration demanding Pradhan’s resignation.

According to her, the protest quickly turned confrontational after police attempted to stop the march. She alleged that she was dragged by her feet and restrained by two women police personnel. Displaying bruises on her hand, she said the protesters had come seeking dialogue rather than confrontation.

“We did not lie to our families and come here so that we could be picked up and detained like criminals,” she said.

Referring to the NEET paper leak controversy, she questioned the government’s engagement with students.

“When it is time for elections, they come to our homes and ask for votes, but they did not even come to engage in a dialogue over the NEET paper leak. We are only asking for a dialogue. Are we not even allowed to hold a peaceful protest?” she asked.

The agitation also attracted participants from outside the national capital. Kismat, a 20-year-old student from Bihar’s Vaishali district, said she travelled overnight to attend the march without informing her family.

“I lied to my family and came here because they would worry about my safety. I did not tell them that I was coming to the protest,” she said.

As the protest dispersed following police intervention, participants reiterated that the movement was far from over. They said they would continue their campaign until the government responded to their demands, with the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remaining at the centre of their agitation.