The CJP Jantar Mantar Protest entered a tense new phase on Thursday as Delhi Police said there was no plan to disperse the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration at Jantar Mantar overnight, seeking to calm tensions after a day of heavy security deployment across central Delhi. The clarification came in response to questions from former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had asked why shops in the Connaught Place area were ordered shut by 6:30 p.m. even as security forces were reinforced nearby. The CJP-led demonstration, now camped at Jantar Mantar for over a month, is demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities and a paper leak linked to the NEET medical entrance examination.
The Ministry of Home Affairs ordered mobile internet services suspended within a 1.5-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar from 4 p.m. to midnight on Thursday, citing public safety concerns under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) also kept 16 stations across central Delhi closed for security reasons for a second consecutive day, including Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Delhi Gate and Khan Market, though interchange facilities remained open at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat, according to 16 Delhi Metro Stations Shut Amid Growing Protest at Jantar Mantar. The same stations had reopened by evening on Wednesday, and similar closures were imposed on July 20, when protesters marched toward Parliament.
The CJP rejected an invitation from Union Minister Jitendra Singh for talks with the Centre, insisting instead that negotiations take place at Jantar Mantar or another neutral venue. The organisation has called for nationwide peaceful protests on July 24. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a social media post earlier Thursday, announced that fast-track courts would be set up to deliver swift punishment for those responsible for paper leaks, describing the safeguarding of students’ futures as a government priority. The CJP responded that while fast-track courts might address prosecutions after a leak occurs, the government had yet to explain why such leaks keep happening.
Opposition leaders visited Gandhi Smriti on Thursday to pay tribute to students who died in connection with the paper leak controversy. Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by other INDIA bloc lawmakers, said the group had been prevented from proceeding to India Gate before redirecting to Gandhi Smriti, where they laid flowers and sang the national anthem. Gandhi accused the government of using force against students and renewed calls for Pradhan’s resignation. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also voiced support for the protesters, framing the movement as a defence of constitutional values.
The Aam Aadmi Party said it would back the nationwide protests called by the CJP, with senior leader Gopal Rai asking party workers to join without carrying party banners. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray announced a “Tiranga Morcha” in Mumbai on July 24 in solidarity with the students. Protests linked to the paper leak issue also continued in Bihar, where police used force after demonstrators attempted to storm a district administration office in Katihar, according to reports from the state.
Reactions from within the ruling coalition were mixed. Veteran BJP leader Murali Manohar Joshi expressed concern over the police response to the July 20 march and urged peaceful dialogue, while Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam alleged that opposition parties and unspecified foreign forces were using the protests to destabilise the government. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma backed the Centre’s fast-track court proposal as evidence of its commitment to students.
Separately, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a public interest litigation on Friday seeking a probe into the CJP-led protest, after a petitioner’s counsel argued that road blockages linked to the demonstration were causing hardship for city residents. A 21-year-old woman injured during the protests remained under hospital care but was reported to be breathing independently and responding to commands, according to hospital authorities. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, also hospitalised, was described by Medanta Hospital as stable, with his vital signs within accepted parameters.
With the CJP Jantar Mantar Protest showing no signs of easing and further demonstrations planned nationwide on July 24, authorities are expected to continue reviewing security arrangements, including metro closures and internet restrictions, in the days ahead.
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