Jantar Mantar Protest Swells After Police Crackdown, Students Turn Anger into a Wider Movement

Police, Protesters Offer Contrasting Accounts as Jantar Mantar Agitation Gains National Attention

 New Delhi: What began as a campaign against the alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities has rapidly evolved into a much larger youth movement, with thousands of students converging on Jantar Mantar after the July 20 police action during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march towards Parliament.

The agitation, which initially drew a limited number of demonstrators, has now gained fresh momentum as images of the police crackdown continue to circulate widely on social media.

Among those inspired to travel to the national capital was 26-year-old Aminul Hoque from Assam. Though he had supported the movement from home by sharing updates online, he decided to join the protest in person after watching videos of students being lathi-charged and tear-gassed during the Parliament march.

Hoque told India Today that the scenes convinced him that young voices demanding accountability deserved support rather than force.

Hoque said his commitment to the movement had grown steadily since June, when the CJP announced its campaign over the alleged examination controversy.

His resolve strengthened further after Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the agitation and later announced an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.

However, he said it was the events of July 20 that finally compelled him to travel to Delhi.

Speaking at the protest venue, Hoque alleged that peaceful demonstrators were subjected to unnecessary force despite raising legitimate concerns.

He said students had gathered to seek answers, not confrontation, and asserted that the action taken against them had only united more young people across the country.

According to him, the authorities had underestimated the determination of the younger generation.

His journey mirrors a broader shift taking place at Jantar Mantar.

For several days, the protest site had witnessed a steady but relatively modest turnout of students, activists and supporters seeking an impartial inquiry into the alleged paper leak and demanding accountability from the Union Education Ministry.

Attendance generally remained manageable, with only a few thousand people assembling at a time.

The situation changed dramatically after Monday’s confrontation between protesters and police.

By Wednesday afternoon, streams of young people from different parts of the country continued to arrive at the protest venue.

Roads leading from Sansad Marg and Tolstoy Road remained packed as fresh groups made their way towards Jantar Mantar.

Even the organisers admitted it had become difficult to estimate the size of the gathering, although it was evident that participation had increased substantially.

Many newcomers said they had not attended the agitation during its earlier phase.

Their decision to join the demonstrations, they explained, was influenced largely by videos and photographs of the July 20 clashes that had spread rapidly across social media platforms over the previous two days.

One sentiment resonated repeatedly throughout the gathering. Students, volunteers and speakers alike expressed the view that force should never have been used against peaceful demonstrators.

Conversations across the venue reflected a growing belief that the police response had become as significant an issue as the original examination controversy itself.

Hoque argued that students had merely sought accountability from the government and questioned why such demands were met with force instead of engagement.

He maintained that attempts to suppress the protests would only encourage greater public participation and urged the government to open a meaningful dialogue with those raising concerns.

The same opinion was echoed by many young protesters assembled around the main stage. Several students claimed they had expected the authorities to address their grievances through discussion rather than coercive measures.

They insisted that calls for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation were intended as a demand for accountability and not an invitation for confrontation.

A 20-year-old engineering student from Delhi remarked that the crackdown had failed to intimidate the student community.

Standing near volunteers distributing drinking water under the scorching afternoon sun, he said the authorities appeared to believe that the use of force would discourage participation.

Instead, he observed, the protest had drawn even greater public support and strengthened the resolve of those involved.

While the swelling crowds projected the growing strength of the student movement, Delhi Police defended its actions, maintaining that force became necessary only after the situation turned violent during the July 20 Parliament march.

Officials insisted that repeated appeals to disperse peacefully were ignored, leaving security personnel with little option but to intervene.

According to the police, more than 118 personnel, including several senior officers, sustained injuries during the confrontation.

Authorities also said nearly 70 demonstrators were taken into custody after protesters allegedly attempted to breach security barricades and disrupted law and order in the high-security zone surrounding Parliament.

In its official account, the police alleged that sections of the crowd behaved aggressively despite prohibitory orders remaining in force.

Officers claimed that stones and other objects were hurled at security personnel, government and police vehicles were damaged, and public property was vandalised, prompting law enforcement agencies to resort to crowd-control measures.

The students, however, rejected the police narrative and maintained that the demonstrations had remained peaceful until security forces intervened.

Many participants argued that the use of batons and tear gas transformed what was essentially an agitation over alleged examination irregularities into a wider campaign centred on democratic rights and freedom of peaceful protest.

The contrasting versions have now become the defining feature of the movement.

While authorities continue to justify their response as essential for maintaining public order, demonstrators insist that the crackdown itself has fuelled public anger and encouraged greater participation from students across the country.

One protester standing quietly amid the sea of demonstrators drew considerable attention by holding a handwritten placard reading, “Thank You for Your Love.”

The message carried unmistakable sarcasm. Visible bruises covered parts of his face, shoulders and arms, which he claimed were the result of the police action during the July 20 march.

The injured youth said the wounds reflected what he described as the authorities’ response to peaceful dissent.

Around him, students stopped to photograph the placard before joining slogans demanding accountability from both Delhi Police and the Rapid Action Force.

Every few minutes, fresh chants echoed across the venue, keeping the atmosphere charged throughout the day.

Unlike the relatively restrained gatherings witnessed in previous weeks, Wednesday’s demonstration reflected a different mood.

Frustration was clearly visible, but a renewed sense of purpose accompanied it.

Participants said they were determined to continue their campaign despite the events of the previous week.

Social media has emerged as one of the most influential drivers of the expanding movement.

Protesters acknowledged that videos showing clashes between demonstrators and security personnel persuaded many first-time participants to travel to Delhi.

For them, digital platforms became both a record of the events and a powerful tool for mobilisation.

Until the Parliament march, discussions at Jantar Mantar had largely focused on allegations surrounding the NEET-UG examination and demands for ministerial accountability.

Following the police action, however, conversations increasingly shifted towards broader issues, including the right to protest, civil liberties and the state’s response to public dissent.

Many students who had never before attended a demonstration said they now felt compelled to participate because they believed democratic voices should be heard without intimidation.

Their concerns extended beyond the examination controversy, reflecting wider questions about accountability and constitutional freedoms.

As the day progressed into evening, the gathering showed little sign of dispersing. Volunteers ensured a steady supply of food and drinking water, while fresh batches of students continued to arrive from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and several other states.

Many carried luggage, indicating they intended to remain at the protest site for an extended period.

By nightfall, one conclusion had become increasingly evident.

Although the July 20 Parliament march ended with barricades, tear gas and police action, many participants believed those events had unintentionally strengthened the movement instead of weakening it.

The protesters maintained that attempts to suppress their campaign had provided it with a new sense of purpose.

As slogans continued to reverberate across Jantar Mantar long after sunset, thousands of young demonstrators pledged to continue pressing their demands, convinced that dialogue, rather than force, remains the only lasting solution.

पुलिस कार्रवाई के बाद जंतर-मंतर आंदोलन ने पकड़ी रफ्तार, छात्रों की नाराज़गी बनी राष्ट्रीय अभियान, पुलिस और प्रदर्शनकारियों के दावे आमने-सामने, जंतर-मंतर आंदोलन ने पकड़ी नई दिशा

नई दिल्ली: कथित नीट-यूजी परीक्षा अनियमितताओं के विरोध में शुरू हुआ आंदोलन अब एक व्यापक छात्र अभियान का रूप लेता दिखाई दे रहा है।

20 जुलाई को संसद मार्च के दौरान पुलिस कार्रवाई के बाद जंतर-मंतर पर प्रदर्शनकारियों की संख्या में अचानक तेज़ बढ़ोतरी हुई है। सोशल मीडिया पर लाठीचार्ज और आंसू गैस के वीडियो सामने आने के बाद देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों से बड़ी संख्या में युवा राजधानी पहुंचने लगे हैं।

इसी बढ़ती लहर का हिस्सा बने असम के 26 वर्षीय अमीनुल हक, जो अब तक अपने राज्य से ही आंदोलन का ऑनलाइन समर्थन कर रहे थे।

उन्होंने बताया कि संसद मार्च के दौरान छात्रों पर हुई पुलिस कार्रवाई के वीडियो देखने के बाद उन्होंने स्वयं दिल्ली आने का निर्णय लिया।

उनका कहना है कि जवाबदेही की मांग कर रहे छात्रों के साथ बल प्रयोग ने उन्हें गहराई से झकझोर दिया।

अमीनुल ने बताया कि जून में जब कॉकरोच जनता पार्टी (सीजेपी) ने आंदोलन की घोषणा की थी, तभी से वह इस अभियान पर नज़र बनाए हुए थे।

बाद में लद्दाख के सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता सोनम वांगचुक के आंदोलन में शामिल होने और जंतर-मंतर पर अनिश्चितकालीन अनशन शुरू करने की घोषणा के बाद उनका समर्थन और मजबूत हुआ।

हालांकि, 20 जुलाई की घटनाओं ने उन्हें दिल्ली पहुंचने के लिए अंतिम निर्णय लेने पर मजबूर किया।

प्रदर्शन स्थल पर बातचीत के दौरान उन्होंने आरोप लगाया कि शांतिपूर्ण ढंग से अपनी बात रखने वाले छात्रों के साथ अनावश्यक बल प्रयोग किया गया। यह बात उन्होंने ‘इंडिया टुडे’ से बातचीत में कही।

उनके अनुसार, छात्र केवल जवाबदेही की मांग कर रहे थे, लेकिन पुलिस कार्रवाई ने देशभर के युवाओं को और अधिक एकजुट कर दिया। उन्होंने कहा कि प्रशासन ने नई पीढ़ी के संकल्प को कम करके आंका।

अमीनुल की कहानी जंतर-मंतर पर बदलते माहौल की भी झलक पेश करती है।

पिछले कई सप्ताह तक यहां सीमित संख्या में छात्र, सामाजिक कार्यकर्ता और समर्थक कथित पेपर लीक की निष्पक्ष जांच तथा केंद्रीय शिक्षा मंत्रालय से जवाबदेही की मांग को लेकर जुटते रहे। उस समय प्रदर्शन नियंत्रित दायरे में ही बना हुआ था।

सोमवार की पुलिस कार्रवाई के बाद तस्वीर पूरी तरह बदल गई। बुधवार दोपहर तक देश के अलग-अलग राज्यों से लगातार नए समूह जंतर-मंतर पहुंच रहे थे।

संसद मार्ग और टॉल्स्टॉय रोड की ओर जाने वाले रास्तों पर लोगों की लंबी कतारें दिखाई दीं। स्वयं आयोजकों ने भी माना कि प्रदर्शनकारियों की वास्तविक संख्या का अनुमान लगाना कठिन हो गया है, हालांकि यह स्पष्ट था कि आंदोलन पहले की तुलना में कहीं अधिक व्यापक हो चुका है।

कई नए प्रदर्शनकारियों ने बताया कि वे शुरुआती चरण में आंदोलन का हिस्सा नहीं थे।

उनका कहना था कि पिछले दो दिनों में सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल हुए वीडियो और तस्वीरों ने उन्हें दिल्ली आने और आंदोलन से जुड़ने के लिए प्रेरित किया।

धरनास्थल पर एक भावना लगातार सुनाई दे रही थी।

छात्रों, स्वयंसेवकों और वक्ताओं का कहना था कि शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शनकारियों के खिलाफ बल प्रयोग नहीं होना चाहिए था। कई लोगों का मानना था कि अब पुलिस कार्रवाई स्वयं इस आंदोलन का एक प्रमुख मुद्दा बन चुकी है।

अमीनुल ने कहा कि छात्रों ने केवल जवाबदेही की मांग उठाई थी और सरकार को संवाद का रास्ता अपनाना चाहिए था।

उनका दावा था कि आंदोलन को दबाने की कोशिशें उलटा अधिक युवाओं को सड़क पर उतरने के लिए प्रेरित करेंगी।

मुख्य मंच के आसपास मौजूद अनेक छात्रों ने भी यही भावना दोहराई।

उनका कहना था कि केंद्रीय शिक्षा मंत्री धर्मेंद्र प्रधान के इस्तीफे की मांग जवाबदेही सुनिश्चित करने के उद्देश्य से की गई थी, लेकिन सरकार ने बातचीत के बजाय बल प्रयोग का रास्ता चुना।

दिल्ली के एक 20 वर्षीय बीटेक छात्र ने कहा कि पुलिस कार्रवाई का उद्देश्य छात्रों को डराना था, लेकिन उसका असर बिल्कुल उल्टा हुआ।

उन्होंने कहा कि कड़ी धूप में भी हजारों युवा डटे हुए हैं और यह साबित कर रहे हैं कि लोकतांत्रिक तरीके से अपनी बात रखने वालों का मनोबल दबाया नहीं जा सकता।