Thousands gathered in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led march to Parliament on Monday, defying a Delhi Police crackdown that saw the deployment of batons and tear gas shells to disperse crowds that repeatedly regrouped.Both police personnel and protesters were injured in clashes through the day, with over 100 people detained as the police struggled to maintain order in central Delhi.The protest, reminiscent of the 2019 anti-CAA agitation, saw the government engage CJP leaders for the first time in a month since they began their sit-in on June 20, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.Union Minister JP Nadda met CJP’s Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who presented their demands, including Pradhan’s ouster. While the government asked the protesters to end their sit-in as it considered the CJP memorandum, activist Sonam Wangchuk announced that he would continue his fast until youth leaders were allowed to meet MPs in Parliament or MPs were allowed to meet him at the hospital where he is undergoing treatment.Wangchuk’s hunger strike entered its 24th day on Tuesday, while CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke ended his fast on Monday.Force used only to prevent protesters from breaching security cordons: Delhi PoliceJuly 21, 2026 8:00 amNew Delhi: Throughout the day, the Delhi Police maintained that force was used only to prevent protesters from breaching security cordons and to control stampede-like situations that threatened public safety. The protesters, meanwhile, accused the police of repeatedly using excessive force against what they described as a peaceful youth march. TNS