Delhi tried to close itself on Monday morning. Roads to Parliament were sealed, metro stations shut their gates, and prohibitory orders ran across the New Delhi district under Section 163. None of it kept the crowds from Jantar Mantar. They came through the rain anyway, thousands of them, most too young to have voted more than once.
By the time the first slogans went up at the eighteenth-century observatory that has served as Delhi's designated protest ground for decades, thousands of Cockroach Janta Party supporters, most of them students and young jobseekers, had already threaded their way past sealed roads, shuttered metro stations and multiple layers of barricading to reach the site. The occasion was the CJP's "Chalo Sansad" march, timed to the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session, and built on demands the party has repeated for weeks: accountability for alleged NEET paper leaks and examination irregularities, structural exam reforms, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to PTI's reporting through the day.
What follows is a chronological account of the day, assembled from PTI copy and photographs, statements issued by the CJP and its chief spokesperson Saurav Das on X, and the Delhi Police's own public statements. Timings are as reported by the news agencies. Where a claim comes from one side and is contested by the other, both versions are recorded.
Before the March: Two Fasts End, One Continues
The day began with the subtle unwinding of two hunger strikes and the continuation of a third.
AISA activists Neha, Manish and Aameen ended their 23-day hunger strike in the early hours, after a delegation of parliamentarians, civil society members and public figures appealed to them to carry the movement from the protest site into Parliament and public campaigns, according to PTI.
Sonam Wangchuk, who continued his indefinite hunger strike from Safdarjung Hospital, July 20, 2026. Source: PTI
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also ended his indefinite fast on Monday morning, according to PTI. The announcement came through Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who said Wangchuk himself had asked Dipke to break the fast because "he needed the energy to continue the protest."
Wangchuk did no such unwinding. From Safdarjung Hospital, where he says he is being held in "illegal detention," he stated that his own indefinite hunger strike would continue unless the government accepted accountability for the examination irregularities, or MPs assured him the issue would be raised in the Monsoon Session. His statement circulated as a video on Instagram.
Sonam Wangchuk via X | Click to view
His wife's plea challenging the court order that keeps him at Safdarjung was listed before a Delhi High Court bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia for 2:30 pm the same afternoon, according to PTI.
Morning: A City Rearranged
Central Delhi woke up rearranged. According to PTI, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force across the New Delhi district. Barricades stood at Parliament, Parliament Street, Jantar Mantar, Shankar Road, the Constitution Club and the Press Club of India. Janpath, Patel Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth metro stations were closed. Additional paramilitary companies and police drawn from adjoining districts held key junctions. The Delhi Police had stated there was no permission for the march, while CJP as well as multiple media agencies and individuals communicated via social media previously that all permissions for the protest had been granted..
The crowds gathered regardless, at Jantar Mantar and along Connaught Place.
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters raise slogans, near Jantar Mantar ahead of a protest march, in New Delhi, early Monday, July 20, 2026. Source: PTI
The CJP's early messaging asked supporters to hold the line on discipline. "We will only win this with peace and love," spokesperson Saurav Das posted on X, as reports came in of supporters being stopped from reaching the site, according to PTI's live coverage.
Around 11:20 am: The First Lathi-Charge
The first recorded clash came near Parliament Street at around 11:20 am, when police resorted to a baton-charge after protesters allegedly attempted to breach barricades on the route towards Parliament. According to PTI, sources reported minor injuries on both sides and the detention of roughly 10 to 15 protesters.
Security personnel stop Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters as they raise slogans during a protest march, at Patel Chowk, in New Delhi, Monday, July 20, 2026. (PTI Photo)
The Delhi Police contested this account the same hour. In a statement posted on X, the force said: "Some segments from media have mentioned sporadic use of violence/detentions at Jantar Mantar by Delhi Police. It is informed that no such incident has taken place and protest is being handled professionally." The statement was carried by PTI in its coverage of the march.
11:52 am: The Government Reaches Out
At 11:52 am, by his own timestamp, Saurav Das posted that he and CJP colleague Ashutosh Ranka were on their way to meet BJP president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda. "The government had reached out for talks in the morning," Das wrote. "Our demands are clear. The youth has gathered in huge numbers. We shall win!"
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
Around 1:00 to 1:20 pm: Tear Gas Near Shastri Bhawan
According to PTI, security forces fired tear gas shells near Shastri Bhawan at around 1 pm to 1:20 pm, after protesters allegedly tried to push through barricades to reach Jantar Mantar and join the march. Commuters were left stranded inside nearby metro stations as gates were shut.
Lathi Charge and tear gas dispersed at protest sites. Image via PTI
The CJP posted a video of the shelling and questioned it directly: "Is this a war zone? Why is the police resorting to tear gas assault on peaceful protesters? Sir @narendramodi have you decided we are no longer a democracy?" The party also alleged that internet services had been shut down in parts of central Delhi, writing, "We are receiving widespread reports that Internet services have been shut down in parts of Delhi," while urging supporters to remain peaceful. Both statements were posted on the party's X handle, @Cockroachisback. Authorities had not issued a detailed response to the tear gas and internet claims by evening.
Inside Parliament: Adjournments and a Charge From the Opposition
The march's sound reached the House. According to PTI, Lok Sabha was adjourned four times on the session's opening day, first during Question Hour and then at 12 noon, 12:30 pm and 1 pm, as Opposition MPs raised slogans over the alleged NEET paper leak and the Ram temple donation theft. In the brief windows of business, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced a Bill to raise the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges.
In Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the police action itself. "The government is trying to beat them down and suppress the issue," he told the House, as Opposition members stood and shouted "shame, shame," according to PTI's account of the proceedings. The Upper House was adjourned twice.
Parliament's gates were shut as the march intensified outside. Journalists inside reported that slogans and the sound of tear gas shells could be heard within the complex.
Parliament gates shut as Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters intensified their 'Chalo Sansad' protest march, despite lathi-charge and tear gas action, in New Delhi, on Monday, July 20, 2026. (PTI Photo, via X)
The CJP then posted a video from near the Parliament premises showing security personnel standing with weapons, and appealed: "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?"
CJP via X | Click to view
2:30 pm: Ten Minutes With Nadda
After a wait Das put at more than two hours, the CJP delegation met Nadda at his residence for roughly ten minutes. Das posted the update on X: the two leaders submitted a written letter of demands, which agencies reported included Pradhan's resignation and compensation for families cited by the movement, and Nadda assured them he would "speak internally" on the matter. In the same post, Das flagged incoming reports of mass detentions at the protest.
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
Around the same window, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Home Minister Amit Shah, according to media reports carried in PTI-fed live coverage.
2:45 pm to 3:20 pm: The Dipke Confusion
At about 2:45 pm, Das posted an alert claiming the CJP founder had been taken by police: "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."
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
Delhi Police did not confirm any detention. By 3:20 pm, according to PTI's live coverage of the CJP's updates, the party itself revised its position, stating that Dipke had been neither detained nor arrested, and reporting a large crowd still gathered outside Kerala House.
4:00 pm: Injury Claims and a Contested Assault
The sharpest allegations of the day came around 4 pm, as visuals of injured protesters spread online. Das alleged that Gitanjali Angmo had been assaulted by Delhi Police at the protest and that her hair was pulled, and further claimed that a 12-year-old girl and 40 to 50 others had sustained head injuries: "GEETANJALI JI'S HAIR PULLED BY DELHI POLICE, ASSAULTED. A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL'S HEAD HAS BEEN BROKEN. 40-50 OTHER HEADS BROKEN! @DelhiPolice WHAT IS GOING ON!?" He followed with a clarification post: "TO BE CLEAR: SONAM WANGCHUK'S PARTNER @GitanjaliAngmo's HAIR WAS PULLED. SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY THE DELHI POLICE! BRUTAL CRACKDOWN ONGOING AT JANTAR MANTAR!"
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
These injury figures and the assault allegation are the CJP's claims and can be verified via personal accounts of all those who were on-ground today, in addition to the visuals from the protest sites of people with cracked skulls, actively being lathi charged and women and children being attacked as well, as reports surface by various agencies. Delhi Police's standing position through the day remained its earlier statement denying the use of force and detentions. The police had not issued a fresh detailed response to the 4 pm allegations by evening.
Additionally, as per CJP's official X account and based on the accounts of many protestors on-ground, the protest turned violent as the barricades were used to almost trap the crowd, and the lathi charges and other perpetrated violence also came from officers dressed in civil uniform.
Injured Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters during the protest march, at Sansad Marg, in New Delhi, Monday, July 20, 2026. (PTI Photo)
Beyond Delhi
The day's footprint extended past the capital. According to PTI, solidarity protests were held across Gujarat, in Surat, Junagadh and Bhavnagar, with participants in CJP T-shirts carrying banners for Wangchuk, and in Ahmedabad, police detained several people gathered at Law Garden without permission for the agitation.
Mumbai carried its own aftermath into Monday. Police in the city registered three separate cases in connection with Sunday's demonstration at Dadar's Shivaji Park, held in support of Wangchuk after organisers were refused permission for Azad Maidan and other venues. The gathering drew hundreds and saw the participation of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who called for a larger agitation against the Centre. According to Mumbai Police, the first case concerns the protest being held without permission, the second concerns appeals made to people to gather despite the absence of approval, and the third was registered after students continued demonstrating at various points in the Dadar area following the main event, disrupting traffic. Police said no arrests had been made so far. On Monday, the police also denied permission for a similar protest planned at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, warning organisers of strict legal action if they proceeded, and announced prohibitory orders barring the assembly of five or more persons in public places from July 23 to August 6.
Protesters assembled at Shivaji Park in Mumbai ( Photo by Akash Patil via Indian Express)
At Jantar Mantar itself, the political spectrum of attendance widened through the day. CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, senior leader Brinda Karat and Polit Bureau members Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar and Mariam Dhawale joined the gathering and demanded Pradhan's removal. AAP leader Manish Sisodia reached Parliament Street. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who arrived at the venue by auto-rickshaw, was stopped at the barricades short of Jantar Mantar, and sat on the road with his colleagues, according to PTI's reporting through the afternoon.
Where the Day Left Off
By evening, the ledger of July 20 read like this. A march that police had refused permission for drew thousands through the rain. A lathi-charge near Parliament Street at 11:20 am and tear gas near Shastri Bhawan at around 1 pm, both reported by agencies, stood against a police statement that no force was used at Jantar Mantar. Parliament's opening day was consumed by adjournments, four in the Lok Sabha, two in the Rajya Sabha, with the Leader of Opposition putting the police action on the House record. The government opened a channel, and two CJP leaders walked out of the BJP president's residence with an assurance of internal discussion and a written list of demands on file. The party's founder was reported detained and then reported free within thirty-five minutes. Wangchuk's fast entered another night at Safdarjung Hospital, with his wife's plea before the High Court.
CJP via X | Click to view
CJP via X | Click to view
By evening the day had produced two records that cannot both be true. Delhi Police maintained no force was used at Jantar Mantar. Protesters showed head wounds and video of tear gas drifting past Shastri Bhawan. Parliament adjourned six times without resolving either account. Wangchuk's fast entered another night at Safdarjung, his release request to the hospital still unanswered by the time the marchers turned home, carrying the same demands they arrived with, as misinformation spreads like wildfire. Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of Sonam Wangchuk, continue to stage a sit-in peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar as per the latest update by the CJP official handle on X, and Sonam Wangchuk pens a handwritten note shared via his personal X account at 6:34 p.m., 20 July, announcing he will be continuing his fast as the protest moves to another day, while the stage at Jantar Mantar used as the main protest site has been dismantled.
Sonam Wangchuk via X | Click to view
*This is a developing story, published at 9:09 pm IST, July 20th. Readers are encouraged to check for latest updates as the situation evolves.
TO BE CONTINUED, FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.
This is where the surface ends and the reporting begins.
The complete piece, the full archive, and access to The French Press Circle. Reporting answerable only to its readers.
Already a subscriber ?
Login
Read these on the house, with our compliments.
A selection from the current issue, open to all readers. Read them in full. The rest is one decision away.
Delhi tried to close itself on Monday morning. Roads to Parliament were sealed, metro stations shut their gates, and prohibitory orders ran across the New Delhi district under Section 163. None of it kept the crowds from Jantar Mantar. They came through the rain anyway, thousands of them, most too young to have voted more than once.
By the time the first slogans went up at the eighteenth-century observatory that has served as Delhi's designated protest ground for decades, thousands of Cockroach Janta Party supporters, most of them students and young jobseekers, had already threaded their way past sealed roads, shuttered metro stations and multiple layers of barricading to reach the site. The occasion was the CJP's "Chalo Sansad" march, timed to the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session, and built on demands the party has repeated for weeks: accountability for alleged NEET paper leaks and examination irregularities, structural exam reforms, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, according to PTI's reporting through the day.
What follows is a chronological account of the day, assembled from PTI copy and photographs, statements issued by the CJP and its chief spokesperson Saurav Das on X, and the Delhi Police's own public statements. Timings are as reported by the news agencies. Where a claim comes from one side and is contested by the other, both versions are recorded.
Before the March: Two Fasts End, One Continues
The day began with the subtle unwinding of two hunger strikes and the continuation of a third.
AISA activists Neha, Manish and Aameen ended their 23-day hunger strike in the early hours, after a delegation of parliamentarians, civil society members and public figures appealed to them to carry the movement from the protest site into Parliament and public campaigns, according to PTI.
Sonam Wangchuk, who continued his indefinite hunger strike from Safdarjung Hospital, July 20, 2026. Source: PTI
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke also ended his indefinite fast on Monday morning, according to PTI. The announcement came through Gitanjali J. Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who said Wangchuk himself had asked Dipke to break the fast because "he needed the energy to continue the protest."
Wangchuk did no such unwinding. From Safdarjung Hospital, where he says he is being held in "illegal detention," he stated that his own indefinite hunger strike would continue unless the government accepted accountability for the examination irregularities, or MPs assured him the issue would be raised in the Monsoon Session. His statement circulated as a video on Instagram.
Sonam Wangchuk via X | Click to view
His wife's plea challenging the court order that keeps him at Safdarjung was listed before a Delhi High Court bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia for 2:30 pm the same afternoon, according to PTI.
Morning: A City Rearranged
Central Delhi woke up rearranged. According to PTI, prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita were in force across the New Delhi district. Barricades stood at Parliament, Parliament Street, Jantar Mantar, Shankar Road, the Constitution Club and the Press Club of India. Janpath, Patel Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth metro stations were closed. Additional paramilitary companies and police drawn from adjoining districts held key junctions. The Delhi Police had stated there was no permission for the march, while CJP as well as multiple media agencies and individuals communicated via social media previously that all permissions for the protest had been granted..
The crowds gathered regardless, at Jantar Mantar and along Connaught Place.
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters raise slogans, near Jantar Mantar ahead of a protest march, in New Delhi, early Monday, July 20, 2026. Source: PTI
The CJP's early messaging asked supporters to hold the line on discipline. "We will only win this with peace and love," spokesperson Saurav Das posted on X, as reports came in of supporters being stopped from reaching the site, according to PTI's live coverage.
Around 11:20 am: The First Lathi-Charge
The first recorded clash came near Parliament Street at around 11:20 am, when police resorted to a baton-charge after protesters allegedly attempted to breach barricades on the route towards Parliament. According to PTI, sources reported minor injuries on both sides and the detention of roughly 10 to 15 protesters.
Security personnel stop Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters as they raise slogans during a protest march, at Patel Chowk, in New Delhi, Monday, July 20, 2026. (PTI Photo)
The Delhi Police contested this account the same hour. In a statement posted on X, the force said: "Some segments from media have mentioned sporadic use of violence/detentions at Jantar Mantar by Delhi Police. It is informed that no such incident has taken place and protest is being handled professionally." The statement was carried by PTI in its coverage of the march.
11:52 am: The Government Reaches Out
At 11:52 am, by his own timestamp, Saurav Das posted that he and CJP colleague Ashutosh Ranka were on their way to meet BJP president and Union Minister J.P. Nadda. "The government had reached out for talks in the morning," Das wrote. "Our demands are clear. The youth has gathered in huge numbers. We shall win!"
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
Around 1:00 to 1:20 pm: Tear Gas Near Shastri Bhawan
According to PTI, security forces fired tear gas shells near Shastri Bhawan at around 1 pm to 1:20 pm, after protesters allegedly tried to push through barricades to reach Jantar Mantar and join the march. Commuters were left stranded inside nearby metro stations as gates were shut.
Lathi Charge and tear gas dispersed at protest sites. Image via PTI
The CJP posted a video of the shelling and questioned it directly: "Is this a war zone? Why is the police resorting to tear gas assault on peaceful protesters? Sir @narendramodi have you decided we are no longer a democracy?" The party also alleged that internet services had been shut down in parts of central Delhi, writing, "We are receiving widespread reports that Internet services have been shut down in parts of Delhi," while urging supporters to remain peaceful. Both statements were posted on the party's X handle, @Cockroachisback. Authorities had not issued a detailed response to the tear gas and internet claims by evening.
Inside Parliament: Adjournments and a Charge From the Opposition
The march's sound reached the House. According to PTI, Lok Sabha was adjourned four times on the session's opening day, first during Question Hour and then at 12 noon, 12:30 pm and 1 pm, as Opposition MPs raised slogans over the alleged NEET paper leak and the Ram temple donation theft. In the brief windows of business, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced a Bill to raise the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges.
In Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised the police action itself. "The government is trying to beat them down and suppress the issue," he told the House, as Opposition members stood and shouted "shame, shame," according to PTI's account of the proceedings. The Upper House was adjourned twice.
Parliament's gates were shut as the march intensified outside. Journalists inside reported that slogans and the sound of tear gas shells could be heard within the complex.
Parliament gates shut as Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters intensified their 'Chalo Sansad' protest march, despite lathi-charge and tear gas action, in New Delhi, on Monday, July 20, 2026. (PTI Photo, via X)
The CJP then posted a video from near the Parliament premises showing security personnel standing with weapons, and appealed: "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?"
CJP via X | Click to view
2:30 pm: Ten Minutes With Nadda
After a wait Das put at more than two hours, the CJP delegation met Nadda at his residence for roughly ten minutes. Das posted the update on X: the two leaders submitted a written letter of demands, which agencies reported included Pradhan's resignation and compensation for families cited by the movement, and Nadda assured them he would "speak internally" on the matter. In the same post, Das flagged incoming reports of mass detentions at the protest.
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
Around the same window, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Home Minister Amit Shah, according to media reports carried in PTI-fed live coverage.
2:45 pm to 3:20 pm: The Dipke Confusion
At about 2:45 pm, Das posted an alert claiming the CJP founder had been taken by police: "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."
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
Delhi Police did not confirm any detention. By 3:20 pm, according to PTI's live coverage of the CJP's updates, the party itself revised its position, stating that Dipke had been neither detained nor arrested, and reporting a large crowd still gathered outside Kerala House.
4:00 pm: Injury Claims and a Contested Assault
The sharpest allegations of the day came around 4 pm, as visuals of injured protesters spread online. Das alleged that Gitanjali Angmo had been assaulted by Delhi Police at the protest and that her hair was pulled, and further claimed that a 12-year-old girl and 40 to 50 others had sustained head injuries: "GEETANJALI JI'S HAIR PULLED BY DELHI POLICE, ASSAULTED. A 12 YEAR OLD GIRL'S HEAD HAS BEEN BROKEN. 40-50 OTHER HEADS BROKEN! @DelhiPolice WHAT IS GOING ON!?" He followed with a clarification post: "TO BE CLEAR: SONAM WANGCHUK'S PARTNER @GitanjaliAngmo's HAIR WAS PULLED. SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY THE DELHI POLICE! BRUTAL CRACKDOWN ONGOING AT JANTAR MANTAR!"
Saurav Das via X | Click to view
These injury figures and the assault allegation are the CJP's claims and can be verified via personal accounts of all those who were on-ground today, in addition to the visuals from the protest sites of people with cracked skulls, actively being lathi charged and women and children being attacked as well, as reports surface by various agencies. Delhi Police's standing position through the day remained its earlier statement denying the use of force and detentions. The police had not issued a fresh detailed response to the 4 pm allegations by evening.
Additionally, as per CJP's official X account and based on the accounts of many protestors on-ground, the protest turned violent as the barricades were used to almost trap the crowd, and the lathi charges and other perpetrated violence also came from officers dressed in civil uniform.
Injured Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) supporters during the protest march, at Sansad Marg, in New Delhi, Monday, July 20, 2026. (PTI Photo)
Beyond Delhi
The day's footprint extended past the capital. According to PTI, solidarity protests were held across Gujarat, in Surat, Junagadh and Bhavnagar, with participants in CJP T-shirts carrying banners for Wangchuk, and in Ahmedabad, police detained several people gathered at Law Garden without permission for the agitation.
Mumbai carried its own aftermath into Monday. Police in the city registered three separate cases in connection with Sunday's demonstration at Dadar's Shivaji Park, held in support of Wangchuk after organisers were refused permission for Azad Maidan and other venues. The gathering drew hundreds and saw the participation of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who called for a larger agitation against the Centre. According to Mumbai Police, the first case concerns the protest being held without permission, the second concerns appeals made to people to gather despite the absence of approval, and the third was registered after students continued demonstrating at various points in the Dadar area following the main event, disrupting traffic. Police said no arrests had been made so far. On Monday, the police also denied permission for a similar protest planned at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar, warning organisers of strict legal action if they proceeded, and announced prohibitory orders barring the assembly of five or more persons in public places from July 23 to August 6.
Protesters assembled at Shivaji Park in Mumbai ( Photo by Akash Patil via Indian Express)
At Jantar Mantar itself, the political spectrum of attendance widened through the day. CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, senior leader Brinda Karat and Polit Bureau members Vijoo Krishnan, Arun Kumar and Mariam Dhawale joined the gathering and demanded Pradhan's removal. AAP leader Manish Sisodia reached Parliament Street. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who arrived at the venue by auto-rickshaw, was stopped at the barricades short of Jantar Mantar, and sat on the road with his colleagues, according to PTI's reporting through the afternoon.
Where the Day Left Off
By evening, the ledger of July 20 read like this. A march that police had refused permission for drew thousands through the rain. A lathi-charge near Parliament Street at 11:20 am and tear gas near Shastri Bhawan at around 1 pm, both reported by agencies, stood against a police statement that no force was used at Jantar Mantar. Parliament's opening day was consumed by adjournments, four in the Lok Sabha, two in the Rajya Sabha, with the Leader of Opposition putting the police action on the House record. The government opened a channel, and two CJP leaders walked out of the BJP president's residence with an assurance of internal discussion and a written list of demands on file. The party's founder was reported detained and then reported free within thirty-five minutes. Wangchuk's fast entered another night at Safdarjung Hospital, with his wife's plea before the High Court.
CJP via X | Click to view
CJP via X | Click to view
By evening the day had produced two records that cannot both be true. Delhi Police maintained no force was used at Jantar Mantar. Protesters showed head wounds and video of tear gas drifting past Shastri Bhawan. Parliament adjourned six times without resolving either account. Wangchuk's fast entered another night at Safdarjung, his release request to the hospital still unanswered by the time the marchers turned home, carrying the same demands they arrived with, as misinformation spreads like wildfire. Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of Sonam Wangchuk, continue to stage a sit-in peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar as per the latest update by the CJP official handle on X, and Sonam Wangchuk pens a handwritten note shared via his personal X account at 6:34 p.m., 20 July, announcing he will be continuing his fast as the protest moves to another day, while the stage at Jantar Mantar used as the main protest site has been dismantled.
Sonam Wangchuk via X | Click to view
*This is a developing story, published at 9:09 pm IST, July 20th. Readers are encouraged to check for latest updates as the situation evolves.
TO BE CONTINUED, FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.
This is where the surface ends and the reporting begins.
The complete piece, the full archive, and access to The French Press Circle. Reporting answerable only to its readers.
Already a subscriber ?
Login
Read these on the house, with our compliments.
A selection from the current issue, open to all readers. Read them in full. The rest is one decision away.