Published Jul 20, 2026 | 3:48 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 20, 2026 | 8:55 PM
Protesters run from tear gas near Parliament during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in New Delhi on Monday.
Synopsis: Delhi Police used a lathi charge to disperse nearly 1,000 protesters who marched towards Parliament on Monday despite heavy security and prohibitory orders. The first day of the Monsoon Session was adjourned after opposition parties raised the protests and the Ram Temple theft issue, as security was tightened around Parliament and internet services were cut off around Jantar Mantar. Visuals from the protests show police beating protesters, with some suffering injuries to their heads and upper bodies. Police also detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, and several other protesters.
Delhi Police used a lathi charges and tear gas to disperse close to 1,000 protesters who had reached near Parliament despite heavy police restrictions as part of the Cockroach Janata Party’s “Sansad Chalo March” on Monday, 20 July. At the same within parliament, the first day of monsoon session was adjourned after opposition parties raised the CJP protests and the Ram Temple theft issues.
Sansad Marg has now been cleared of protesters, with police using jammers to impose a near-total internet shutdown across a 5-km radius from Jantar Mantar. Separately, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cavalcade was seen leaving the Parliament premises as the protest march neared the Parliament complex.
Reports and visuals shared by protesters on social media show police carrying out a lathi charge against crowds of protesters, with some seen bleeding from injuries to their heads and upper bodies.
Visuals from Parliament showed security forces taking up firing positions aimed at the Parliament gates with machine guns, while firefighters stood ready with water cannons.
Visuals from the Parliament have security forces taking firing positions. Please don’t shoot at our country’s youth. They’re not making any unreasonable demands. They just want accountability for students dying because of govt incompetence!
How can this be the response? pic.twitter.com/yRCNE09P9d
— Cockroach is Back (@Cockroachisback) July 20, 2026
Other visuals showed heavily armed police beating a lone protester as he repeatedly shouted, “Maro sir, maro,” in frustration.
Police also detained CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav, and several other protesters. They were released later in the day.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das wrote in a post on X:
“DIPKE HAS BEEN PICKED UP BY THE POLICE! WE REQUEST ALL MPs TO IMMEDIATELY STAND IN SUPPORT OF THE STUDENTS ON THE STREETS! THE POLICE IS BRUTALLY CRACKING DOWN AND BEATING UP PEACEFUL PROTESTERS.”
Dipke, Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Dr Gitanjali Angmo returned to Jantar Mantar on Monday evening, vowing to continue the protest indefinitely, but called off the ‘Sandad Chalo’ march.
Also Read: JP Nadda reaches out to CJP leaders after over 10,000 protesters gather for Parliament march
Starting late on Sunday evening, tens of thousands of protesters had begun to amass at Jantar Mantar after CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke called for a night vigil, a day after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from his 21-day hunger protest.
Wangchuk had been protesting repeated failures in the conduct of examinations and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The march was led by Dipke. Earlier today, student activists Neha, Aameen and Manish ended their hunger strike ahead of the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. The AISA activists had been fasting for the past 23 days, demanding the resignation of the education minister.
Delhi Police set up multi-layered barricades and deployed vehicle-mounted X-ray luggage scanners at several entry points into high-security zones across New Delhi, Central Delhi and North Delhi ahead of the CJP’s Parliament march on the first day of the Monsoon Session.
Additionally, the police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS (formerly Section 144 of the CrPC) across the New Delhi district. The orders prohibit protest marches, processions, demonstrations and assemblies of five or more people, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar with prior permission.
Exhilarating marching with maybe 5 lakh young people from Jantar Mantar to Parliament today
Average age 25
Gathered spontaneously
From all corners of the country
Disciplined
Highly charged
Demanding only one thing
A govt that is accountable
A govt that cares about their futures pic.twitter.com/dwgjNRGvfC— Harsh Mander (@harsh_mander) July 20, 2026
Police said no permission had been granted to the CJP to carry out its proposed Parliament march.
“Delhi Police categorically clarifies that no permission has been sought or granted for any such protest march/procession,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma said in a public advisory issued on X on Sunday, 19 July.
Ahead of the march, Dipke expressed apprehension that the authorities were planning “something heinous”.
“We have received input that the authorities are planning something heinous where they will allow goons to disrupt the protest and then blame it on the peaceful CJP protesters,” Dipke said in a post on X.
He also posted photographs of lorries parked at Jantar Mantar, claiming they were loaded with stones.
“What are the police authorities up to? Are they orchestrating stone-pelting on the peaceful CJP protesters?” he asked.
Dipke wrote in another post on X:
“Shame on Delhi Police! A truck loaded with stones and a wrecked van have already been placed at Jantar Mantar.”
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
