Jantar Mantar CJP Protest Highlights: MEA says 'no information to share' on foreign funding claims

DMRC took to X and said, “Below mentioned Metro stations will be closed from 07:30 AM tomorrow (25th July, 2026) till further instructions. However, Interchange facility shall remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.”

1. Lok Kalyan Marg

2. Rajiv Chowk

3. Patel Chowk

4. Ramakrishna Ashram Marg

5. Barakhambha Road

6. Supreme Court

7. Seva Teerth

8. Janpath

9. Mandi House

10. Central Secretariat

11. ITO

12. Delhi Gate

13. Indraprastha

14. Khan Market

15. Jor Bagh

16. Shivaji Stadium

17. Jhandewalan

18. New Delhi

“Any inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” it added.

As per PTI, Congress leader Praveen Chakravarthy said, "Congress will raise NEET protesters' demands in Parliament."

CJP spokesperson Ratna Singh on Friday appealed to lawyers in Delhi to extend legal assistance in securing the release of people detained in connection with the protests.

“Police are detaining youth commuting by auto-rickshaw, cabs after setting up checkpoints at Lodhi Road, Nizamuddin; cops misbehaving with lawyers,” she said.

Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali said on X, "Before you rush to criticise @Wangchuk66, first pause to earn the ethos of fasting for 26 days for a cause larger than yourself.

He lies in the ICU today, having lost 11 kg, including muscle mass, because he chose sacrifice over comfort. The least we can offer him is a day of compassion before burdening him with our own expectations and political calculations.

Not everyone is qualified to judge a life of selfless service. One must first earn the moral stature to do so.

Please..Have a heart."

Delhi Police has constituted a Special Task Force (STF) within its Crime Branch to investigate paper leaks and other exam-related offences, according to an official order.

The move has been approved under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act by the police commissioner.

According to a Delhi Police statement, the measure is aimed at ensuring prompt, professional and comprehensive investigation into offences involving recruitment and entrance examinations conducted by various central agencies.

According to the order, the STF will have the remit to probe offences committed in exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), National Testing Agency (NTA), and recruitment tests by ministries, departments and their attached and subordinate offices of the central government.

The unit will also handle cases involving any other authority notified by the central government from time to time.

The STF has also been tasked with coordinating closely with prosecuting agencies to ensure speedy prosecution and facilitate day-to-day trial of cases arising under the Act, the order said.

The force will be headed by the Crime Branch deputy commissioner.

Overall supervision and administrative control of the unit will rest with the Crime Branch special commissioner.

– PTI

Delhi Police on Friday dismissed as fake a social media graphic claiming that a woman head constable had died during the Jantar Mantar protest.

The police said no such incident had taken place and described the viral post as "malicious," urging people not to circulate unverified information.

Gitanjali Angmo on Friday defended her husband Sonam Wangchuk's decision to end his 26-day hunger strike over the NEET paper leak issue, urging critics to respond with compassion rather than judgment.

The agitation against the NEET paper leak swept several states in India on Friday, a day after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called for nationwide demonstrations, with protesters condemning the Delhi Police crackdown on July 20 and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

With the protest intensifying across states, the Congress directed its state units to organise a candlelight march and 'satyagraha' in each district on Saturday evening to protest against "irregularities in the NEET and CBSE examinations and the subsequent repressive actions by the Modi government".

In Maharashtra's Mumbai, thousands of protesters gathered in Dadar under the banner of Shiv Sena (UBT), with party leader Aaditya Thackeray stating that he has urged CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke not to return to Maharashtra until the demands are met.

Holding tricolours and placards in their hands, thousands of students and activists gathered at the iconic Shivaji Park ground in the Dadar area as part of a 'Tiranga Morcha' organised by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT).

The participants raised slogans of "Azaadi (freedom) from dictatorship and paper leaks" with the national song, Vande Mataram, being played in the background. Some of them carried posters of Bhagat Singh and Dr B R Ambedkar.

In neighbouring Pune, protesters, including students, braved heavy rains as they took out a march demanding the resignation of Pradhan and denouncing the lathi-charge by Delhi Police on demonstrators.

The 4km-long-march from Shaniwarwada, an iconic 18th-century fort, to the District Collector's office in the heart of the city was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and saw participation from students, working professionals, lawyers and members of various social organisations.

In Nagpur, the mother of a NEET aspirant who allegedly committed suicide in May addressed a protest event and sought the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pradhan.

In Kolkata, the protest turned violent as clashes broke out between members of the Left students' organisations and police personnel during a protest, prompting security forces to baton-charge and fire tear gas shells to disperse the agitators, a senior officer said.

The protesters blocked the Dorina Crossing area in the Esplanade and hurled footwear and water bottles at the men in uniform.

The police were seen having a tough time trying to remove the agitators from the intersection of vital thoroughfares on a working day.

Till reports last received, the police had not managed to disperse the crowd from the region despite resorting to a mild lathi charge and even firing some tear gas shells.

Several parts of Karnataka witnessed protests and counter-protests over the NEET question paper leak, with police detaining protesters, preventing rival groups from clashing and stepping up security at multiple locations.

Student groups, Dalit organisations, Youth Congress activists and civil society groups held protests over the alleged NEET irregularities and the reported police action against students in Delhi.

Whereas, the BJP held protests against the attack on its leaders during their agitation near the Congress office in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

In Chandigarh and Kaithal, the youths were joined by farmers and activists in the demonstration against Delhi Police's crackdown on protesters and seeking Pradhan's resignation.

Carrying placards with slogans like 'Take Responsibility, Save Students', 'Enough is Enough', 'Raise Your Voice' and 'Please Save My Future', the protesters expressed solidarity with the youths agitating in the national capital.

The protesters gathered at Hanuman Vitak Park and then took out a procession to the District Mini Secretariat.

The lawyers from the Kaithal Bar Association also staged a 'dharna' outside the Bar Room.

– PTI

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday alleged that anti-social elements infiltrated the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest over the alleged NEET question paper leak and attacked police personnel and journalists, while accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of attempting to defame the BJP.

Addressing reporters, Sanjay Kumar said the government had permitted the protest in Delhi and made adequate security arrangements, treating the participants as students.

"In these circumstances, we have seen how some anti-social elements joined (the protest) in the guise of students and created destruction, including attacks on police personnel and journalists, raising anti-national, anti-sanatan, unrelated and provocative slogans," he said, as per PTI.

The Union minister claimed that around 118 police personnel and journalists were injured during the march to Parliament in Delhi earlier this week. He further alleged that the police exercised restraint and resorted to a lathi-charge only against anti-social elements.

Sanjay Kumar also said the Delhi Police had blocked more than 480 Pakistan-based social media accounts on July 23 for allegedly spreading misinformation, adding that investigations into other foreign-based social media handles were still underway.

Braving heavy rains, thousands of protesters, including students, took out a march in Pune on Friday demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak and denouncing the lathi-charge by Delhi Police on demonstrators.

The 4km-long-march from Shaniwarwada, an iconic 18th-century fort, to the District Collector's office in the heart of the city was organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and saw participation from students, working professionals, lawyers and members of various social organisations.

"I am here because my friend's NEET paper was leaked. I can understand the pain she went through after the paper was leaked (in May) and she had to reappear for the (medical entrance) examination (on June 21)," said Shaista Khan, one of the protesters.

Khan strongly condemned Delhi Police's crackdown on protesters, most of them students, to foil their march towards Parliament on July 20.

"They should not have committed such atrocities against the youth who are simply demanding accountability," she insisted.

Another protester demanded Pradhan's resignation, saying the government must be held accountable for repeated examination paper leaks.

"After all these paper leaks, there has to be some accountability on the part of the government," he asserted.

Lawyer Sadiya Khan said she joined the march to express solidarity with the agitating students.

"I denounce the 'goondagardi' (hooliganism) against the students in New Delhi. I have come here to support them, and if need be, I will fight their cases," she said.

– PTI

As per ANI, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said "... Students are demanding the Education Minister’s resignation. Such accountability is not new in India, and resignations have happened in the past... This is not just the demand of students, but of people across the country. Instead of addressing the issue, the government is using force against students through lathi charge and tear gas..."

As Sonam Wangchuk ends his hunger strike, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "I am happy that, after discussions with the government, Sonam Wangchuk has ended his hunger strike. The government is addressing the concerns he raised, and the discussions are progressing well."

He adds, "I would especially like to congratulate and thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has taken the initiative to ensure that the future of our youth remains secure by bringing in a law under which those involved in paper leaks will face immediate action, their cases will be heard in fast-track courts, and they will be sent to jail without delay. I welcome this law and express my gratitude to the Prime Minister."

The Delhi Traffic Police on Friday advised the public to avoid unnecessary travel in areas covered by prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and urged commuters to use alternative routes wherever possible.

The police also asked app-based mobility services, ride-hailing platforms, food delivery operators, logistics companies and e-commerce firms to regulate their operations in the restricted zones for the duration of the prohibitory orders to help ensure public safety and maintain law and order.

National Testing Agency has terminated 47 officials from their service. Legal and criminal actions will also be taken against some of these officials, reported ANI citing sources, adding that this is part of a complete overhaul of NTA that has been in controversy over paper leaks.

A delegation of farmer leaders, including Gurnam Singh Chaduni, arrived at the protest venue on Friday to express solidarity with the ongoing agitation.

Responding to questions about allegations of foreign funding behind the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests, including claims of a Pakistan connection, the Ministry of External Affairs said it has no information to share on the matter.

MEA spokesperson said, "I have no information to share on this issue with you".

The Centre has directed the airlifting of 10 more CRPF companies from Chhattisgarh to deploy in Delhi to bolster security measures in view of the student protest underway, officials said on Friday.

Thousands of students and activists have been protesting in the national capital for over a month for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET fiasco.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has also restricted the leaves of its Delhi Metro security unit due to the protests.

Officials told PTI that a security review meeting held here on Thursday required all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) units scheduled to be stationed in the national capital ahead of Independence Day to report early.

They said that about 150 CAPF companies will be deployed in Delhi over the next few days. A CAPF company has about 100 personnel.

About 100 such companies are already in Delhi assisting the local police with law and order duties, officials said.

As part of the enhanced deployment, a total of 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) companies were airlifted from Chhattisgarh on Friday, they said.

– PTI

The Bombay High Court has designated two special courts in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur districts to exclusively deal with cases related to examination malpractices, PTI reported.

CJP reiterated its demand after Wangchuk ended fast.

“Dharmendra Pradhan must resign!” it mentioned.