Delhi Police Say They Won't Stop Jantar Mantar Protest, Trying To Shift Protesters To Burari Ground

Last Updated:July 20, 2026, 22:19 IST

Delhi Police won't stop Jantar Mantar protests, but will act against lawbreakers. Protesters demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over NEET-UG paper leak.

Delhi Police will not stop protesters from staging their protest at Jantar Mantar, senior police officers told CNN-News18’s Ananya Bhatnagar, on Monday. The officers said only those who break law and order at the protest site will face strict action.

Delhi Police is trying to move the protesters to Burari Ground instead of Jantar Mantar, the officers said. But the chances of the protesters agreeing to the move are very low, with the protesters unlikely to move from Jantar Mantar, the officers added.

Delhi Police allowed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke to return to Jantar Mantar, the officers said. If Delhi Police had wanted, it could have stopped the protesters sitting at Kerala House from going back to Jantar Mantar. It chose not to.

Some police officers had tried to remove the tents at Jantar Mantar. But they got a call from Delhi Police headquarters telling them the tents must not be removed, the officers said.

Delhi Police had earlier sealed roads leading to Parliament, barricaded the Jantar Mantar site from all sides and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The protest began on 6 June as a satirical youth movement.

Protesters are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the 2026 NEET-UG paper leak and irregularities in CBSE’s on-screen marking process. Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike at the site since 28 June, which widened the protest’s support base to include senior citizens and social organisations.

Monday marked the first day of Parliament’s monsoon session. CJP spokespersons met Union Minister JP Nadda for talks earlier in the day.

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Anoshito Banerjee

Anoshito Banerjee is a digital journalist at CNN-News18, specialising in Indian foreign policy, global diplomacy, South and West Asian geopolitics, and strategic affairs. His reporting spans hard news...Read More

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