CJP Jantar Mantar Protest — Sansad Chalo March
July 20, 2026: CJP's Historic Sansad Chalo March
Tens of thousands of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on July 20, 2026, defying a police ban to march on Parliament. The Sansad Chalo protest demanded Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak that affected 2.28 million medical aspirants.
Police used tear gas, lathi charges, and deployed RAF personnel to disperse protesters. Mobile internet was suspended across central Delhi. Despite the crackdown, thousands refused to leave, vowing to continue until their demands were met.
Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike
Climate activist and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Sonam Wangchuk joined the CJP protest on June 28, beginning an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. On July 18, on day 21 of his fast, police forcibly moved him to Safdarjung Hospital. Wangchuk had lost over 9 kg and was surviving on salt water. He vowed to continue fasting until the government took responsibility for education system failures or Parliament addressed the issue.
Wangchuk called the July 20 Parliament march India's "second freedom movement" and urged students nationwide to join. His wife Gitanjali Angmo led the march in his place after the Delhi High Court ordered his continued hospitalisation.
Abhijeet Dipke Detained & Released
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke began an indefinite hunger strike on July 18 after Wangchuk's forcible hospitalisation. On July 20, at Sonam Wangchuk's request, Dipke ended his fast and joined the Sansad Chalo march. He was briefly detained by Delhi Police near the RBI building — though police denied the detention. Dipke later released a statement accusing police of assaulting women protesters and vowed the movement would not back down.
Government Reaches Out — CJP Meets JP Nadda
In a major breakthrough, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Union Health Minister JP Nadda at his residence for 10 minutes on July 20. They presented three demands: Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, Sonam Wangchuk's release, and Rs 1 crore compensation for NEET suicide victims' families. Nadda assured them he would discuss the matter internally but made no firm commitments.
CJP's Three Demands
- 1. Immediate resignation or sacking of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak and alleged examination irregularities
- 2. Release of Sonam Wangchuk from hospital with no restriction on his movement and right to continue peaceful protest
- 3. Rs 1 crore compensation for families of students who died by suicide following the NEET paper leak and forced re-examination
Global Media Coverage
The CJP Jantar Mantar protest and Sansad Chalo march were covered by major global outlets including BBC, NPR, NBC News, Associated Press, CBS News, Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, and The New York Times. The movement has been described as "one of the largest protests in the Indian capital in recent years" and "the biggest public challenge to PM Modi in his third term."
Recent Developments
- • CJP protesters reclaimed Jantar Mantar on July 21 after police dismantled the protest site
- • Sansad Chalo march continues — Dipke says protest will persist until demands are met
- • Delhi Police denied using force; CJP shared evidence of injuries from lathi charge and tear gas
- • Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Mahua Moitra expressed support for protesters
- • Over 22 million Instagram followers — CJP surpasses all major Indian political parties on social media