Jantar Mantar student protest and march toward Parliament

A large student-led demonstration took place today at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, where thousands of students and supporters gathered before attempting a “Chalo Sansad” (March to Parliament) despite not receiving police permission.

(both pictures are file images)

What are the protesters demanding?

The movement is primarily focused on:

• Action over alleged repeated leaks of major entrance examination papers.
  Accountability from the Union government, including demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  Reforms to recruitment and examination systems.
  Greater transparency and protection for students affected by examination irregularities.

What happened today?

• Protesters assembled at Jantar Mantar from the morning.
  They attempted to march towards Parliament as Parliament’s Monsoon Session began.
  Delhi Police had earlier announced that no permission had been granted for the march and imposed restrictions in the New Delhi area.

Clashes with police

• Security personnel stopped protesters at barricades.
  Scuffles broke out when some demonstrators tried to move towards Parliament.
  Multiple news outlets reported that police used batons (lathi-charge) to disperse sections of the crowd, while Delhi Police maintained that they acted according to law and denied excessive use of force.

Sonam Wangchuk’s role

• Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk had joined the movement through a hunger strike in support of students. He was shifted to a hospital by authorities two days ago after his health deteriorated, but the protest continued under other organizers and supporters.

Traffic and Metro

Authorities tightened security around central Delhi, and some Metro stations near Parliament were temporarily affected as a precaution because of the protest.

Current situation

As of the latest reports:

• Protesters remain determined to continue their campaign.
  Police continue to maintain heavy security around Parliament and nearby areas.
  The movement has become one of the largest student-led protests in recent months, with further demonstrations expected if the protesters’ demands are not addressed
• Based on reports up to today (July 20), the following well-known personalities have either visited Jantar Mantar, joined the protest, or publicly shown support for the ongoing student movement led by Sonam Wangchuk and the CJP.Celebrities who physically visited the protest site

  Shabana Azmi – Veteran actress; visited Jantar Mantar and addressed protesters in solidarity.
  Prakash Raj – Actor and filmmaker; attended the protest and expressed support for the students’ demands.
  Swara Bhasker – Visited the protest site during Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike and met him personally.
  Celebrities who publicly supported the movement

  These personalities have not all been reported as visiting Jantar Mantar but have publicly backed the movement or appealed for dialogue:

  Soni Razdan
  Zeenat Aman
  Naseeruddin Shah
  Ratna Pathak Shah
  Abhay Deol
  Omi Vaidya
  Zoya Akhtar
  Kiran Rao
  Varun Grover
  Sonakshi Sinha
  Dia Mirza
  Fatima Sana Shaikh
  Atul Kulkarni
  Public figures and political leaders

  Apart from film personalities, several prominent public figures have also been associated with the protest:

  Sonam Wangchuk – Leading the movement through his hunger strike until he was hospitalized.
  Prakash Ambedkar – Visited the protest site and extended support.

  At present, there are no confirmed reports that major Bollywood stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, or Virat Kohli have visited the protest site.