The Union home ministry on Thursday suspended mobile internet services till midnight in the 1.5 km radius of Jantar Mantar, where the CJP is holding a protest demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.The latest order extended the suspension of the services till midnight on Thursday with the approval of the Union Home Secretary under the Telecommunication Act, 2023 and the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024 in the interest of “public safety and averting public emergency”.The ministry has issued five such orders since July 17, suspending the mobile internet services in the area.The CJP-led agitation demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Pradhan started on June 20th.Internet services — with PTIInjured CJP protester at RML off ventilator, showing improvementJuly 23, 2026 7:57 pmNew Delhi: A 21-year-old woman admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital with critical wounds sustained during a student protest underway at Jantar Mantar is showing clinical improvement. The student was successfully extubated (removed from the ventilator) 24 hours ago and is now breathing on her own, the hospital authorities said. She is conscious and responding appropriately to commands. “Her clinical condition is currently stable. However, she needs and continues to receive comprehensive critical care under the close supervision of the multidisciplinary treating team,” they said. PTIPassports of people involved in violence may be cancelled, say Delhi Police sourcesJuly 23, 2026 7:54 pmPeople found directly involved in violence during the ongoing CJP protest may face cancellation of their passports, police sources said on Thursday. The sources said the Delhi Police had begun identifying, through CCTV footage, video recordings and other technical evidence, the individuals who were directly involved in rioting and other acts of violence during the protest. According to the sources, action for cancellation of passports may be initiated in accordance with the applicable legal provisions against those found to have actively participated in the violence. PTI‘I was hit by a stone on my head’: ACP recounts Jantar Mantar clashes; FIR registeredJuly 23, 2026 4:57 pmNew Delhi: “At around 4.30 pm, the crowd had swelled to 5000-6000 people,” Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jai Prakash said on Thursday, recounting the clashes at Jantar Mantar in which he was injured after allegedly being hit by a stone on the forehead. “I was hit by a stone on my head. I was bleeding when my colleagues removed me from the protest site and rushed me to RML Hospital. There is a minor fracture on my head. Further treatment is underway,” Prakash told PTI, a day after the incident. The ACP was among two senior police officers who sustained injuries in alleged stone-pelting by protesters during Wednesday’s demonstration near Sansad Marg, prompting Delhi Police to register an FIR and launch an investigation. PTICJP exposed; Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal instigating students: Delhi BJPJuly 23, 2026 4:57 pmNew Delhi: Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra on Thursday claimed that the political connection of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been exposed, as he accused Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal of “instigating” the students. Addressing a press conference, Malhotra claimed that prompt action by the government had settled the issue of NEET paper leak, yet the CJP protest erupted on July 20 when the Monsoon Session of Parliament began. “The Modi government actively solved the issue, and the accused were arrested. Corrective steps were also taken, and a re-test was conducted successfully.” “Unfortunately, opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal are doing politics over the careers of students by misleading and instigating them,” Malhotra alleged. He added, “The CJP movement has been exposed very soon, as it turned out to be an agitation by the opposition’s ‘B’ team.” PTIStudents’ protests, resentment can’t be ignored; dialogue is must: J-K CMJuly 23, 2026 4:29 pmJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the Centre cannot ignore protests by a large number of youth in Delhi over the paper leak issue and should address the “resentment” among them by having a dialogue. “At some point, there has to be dialogue with them. You cannot ignore such a large number of youth,” Abdullah told reporters. He said when the Cockroach Janata Party held its first protest programme at Jantar Mantar with only a few attendees, some people started making fun of it, saying no one was with them, that millions were on social media, but not ready to come out on the ground. “Now, the situation in Delhi is before you. A significant part of New Delhi is shut down today. Even last night, tear gas had to be used near the Jantar Mantar,” he said. Abdullah said there is clearly a “resentment” among the youth that has been ignored so far.Important to maintain patience and keep faith in government: Shikhar Dhawan on protestsJuly 23, 2026 4:25 pmFormer India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan on Thursday urged protesting students to “remain patient” and have faith in the country’s institutions and governance amid nationwide protests. “Humare youth humare desh ka future hain. Unke sapnon ko samajhna zaroori hai par saath hi, mushkil waqt mein patience rakhna aur desh ki institutions aur sarkar par bharosa banaye rakhna bhi utna hi zaroori hai (Our youth are the future of our nation. “(It is essential to understand their dreams, but at the same time, it is equally important to maintain patience in difficult times and keep faith in the country’s institutions and government),” Shikhar, who retired from all forms of international and domestic cricket in 2024, wrote on ‘X’.Shops in Connaught Place to close by 6.30 pm today amid CJP protestJuly 23, 2026 3:59 pmShops, offices and restaurants in Connaught Place (CP) will close from 6.30 pm on Thursday following an advisory issued by the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA), citing the prevailing situation in and around the area. In an advisory circular issued on Thursday, the traders’ body said the decision was taken following telephonic advice from the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), who asked that all commercial establishments in Connaught Place shut for the day by 6.30 pm. The advisory said all shop owners, office establishments and restaurants in the area have been requested to cooperate and strictly comply with the directions.Delhi Police deny social media claim of protester’s death, warn of legal actionJuly 23, 2026 3:18 pmThe Delhi Police on Thursday dismissed as false the social media posts claiming that a woman protester had died during police lathi charge at the CJP protest in the national capital and warned of strict legal action against those spreading misinformation. New Delhi DCP Sachin Sharma said no protester has died during the protest and described the viral claim as “false propaganda” aimed at “creating panic and fuelling anti-police and anti-establishment sentiments”. “Legal action will be taken against those who incite people by spreading such false posts,” Delhi Police said in a statement, adding that stringent action would be initiated against anyone found disseminating misleading or inflammatory content.PM should sack Pradhan if he believes nothing is more important than youth: BabyJuly 23, 2026 3:02 pmNew Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan if he believes nothing is more important than the future of the youth, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby said on Thursday. The remarks came after Modi asserted that welfare of the country’s youth is the top priority of his government and that his government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. “If the PM truly believes that nothing is more important than the future of our youth, then he should immediately sack his Education Minister under whom these papers have been linked and the corruption related to them has taken place,” Baby said on X. “Nothing short of that is acceptable. Dharmendra Pradhan has got to go!” he said. PTIPM’s fast-track court announcement does not address protesters’ key demand: KejriwalJuly 23, 2026 3:00 pmNew Delhi: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on setting up fast-track courts for paper leak cases did not address the protesting students’ primary demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a video message on X, Kejriwal said this is not what the students had demanded. Referring to Modi’s remarks made earlier in the day, the former Delhi chief minister said, “This morning, the prime minister announced that fast-track courts will be established for paper leak cases. What happened to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation?” The country already has fast-track courts for several matters, he said, and questioned their effectiveness. PTIInspector injured in attack by protesters near Jantar Mantar: Delhi PoliceJuly 23, 2026 2:59 pmNew Delhi: The Delhi Police on Thursday claimed an inspector was injured after he was allegedly being attacked by a group of protesters near Jantar Mantar while on his way to duty. Inspector Nand Kishor Singh said he had parked his vehicle near Hanuman Temple on Wednesday night and was walking towards his place of duty at Jantar Mantar when he came across a large gathering near the Parliament Street junction. “There were around 4,000 to 5,000 people gathered there. They were raising anti-police slogans and anti-government slogans. I thought they were students and I was going to perform my duty,” Singh told PTI. According to Singh, around 100 to 150 people allegedly surrounded and attacked him as he tried to pass through the area. “They assaulted me with lathis, sticks, stones and whatever sharp objects they had in their hands. I sustained injuries and somehow managed to escape. I was in uniform when they attacked me,” he said. PTIOur children deserve to be protected, not portrayed as villains: Gitanjali J AngmoJuly 23, 2026 2:55 pmNew Delhi: Activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, on Thursday said it was “deeply painful” to see students being portrayed negatively and questioned why it was “easier to question their intentions than to hear their concerns”, amid allegations of violence during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. In a post on X, Angmo, co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), appealed against linking the ongoing student protest at Jantar Mantar to incidents of violence elsewhere in Delhi without evidence, saying the movement had remained peaceful. “As an educator, I find it deeply painful to watch the image of our students being tarnished on media,” she said in a post on X. “The students’ protest is taking place peacefully at Jantar Mantar. If there are reports of violence elsewhere in Delhi, please do not rush to attribute them to this movement without evidence,” she said. PTIPM takes credit for ‘going to Mars’, must now take responsibility for his actions: PriyankaJuly 23, 2026 2:51 pmNew Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday over students’ protest, saying he takes credit for “going to Mars”, so now it is time for him to take responsibility for his actions. Speaking to reporters in Parliament House complex, she said the prime minister has posted on social media that he cares for children when just last night he got them “teargassed and beaten up”. PTISeeing students being beaten brutally is extremely painful: Abhijeet Dipke’s motherJuly 23, 2026 2:47 pmChhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Anita Dipke, mother of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, has expressed concern over the lathi-charge on protesting students in New Delhi, saying it is extremely painful to watch them being beaten. She appealed to the government to listen to the agitating students and release those detained at the earliest. “I wish the government would listen to the agitating students and release them as soon as possible. I am worried after seeing the students beaten brutally. Watching all this has left me emotional. “It is extremely painful to see students being beaten like animals,” Anita Dipke told Marathi news channel Zee 24 Taas in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Wednesday. PTIStudents’ courage humbles me, the future is theirs: Alia BhattJuly 23, 2026 2:45 pmNew Delhi: Last few days have broken her heart and then mended it “again and again” with hope, actor Alia Bhatt said on Thursday as she voiced her support for students demanding accountability over irregularities in NEET exam. Referring to the police action against protesting students during their march towards Parliament earlier this week, Bhatt said she was heartbroken, but inspired by their courage and determination. “The last few days have broken my heart and then mended it, again and again, with hope. Behind every student standing their ground is a dream, a family’s hope, a journey of countless sacrifices. They represent not just themselves but everyone who has supported them, while creating a better path for those who will come after them,” the actor wrote on Instagram. PTISenior officer meets injured Delhi cops at RML Hospital after late-night clash during CJP protestJuly 23, 2026 2:40 pmNew Delhi: A senior Delhi Police officer on Thursday met police personnel admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after they sustained injuries as “anti-social elements” clashed with security personnel at Tolstoy Marg and Jantar Mantar on Wednesday night, officials said. At least six police personnel, including two ACP-rank officers, were injured in the violence, they said, adding that security remained tight across the New Delhi and Central districts on Thursday in view of the large gathering of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters at the Jantar Mantar. Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Zone-I, Devesh Chandra Srivastva, visited the injured policemen at the RML Hospital and enquired about their condition. PTIGovt’s resolve is to ensure bright future for country’s youth: Amit ShahJuly 23, 2026 12:48 pmNew Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the welfare of the youth and their bright future is both the highest priority and the resolve of the Modi government. In a message posted on X, the minister said the decision to expedite hearings and take stringent action against the guilty in paper leak cases through the establishment of fast-track courts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a reflection of this very commitment. “This important step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against those who toy with the future of the youth due to paper leaks will prove to be a milestone,” he said. PTINeed education system that inspires confidence: Abhinav BindraJuly 23, 2026 12:45 pmNew Delhi: India’s first individual Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra on Thursday called for an education system that “inspires confidence” amid raging protests against irregularities in the NEET exam that led to suicides by multiple students across the country. Bindra avoided a direct comment on the ongoing movement that is seeking the removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan but stressed on the need for a transparent and merit-based system. “I have never considered myself a political person. But I do believe that some issues belong to all of us, regardless of where we stand. Education is one of them,” he posted on X. “The measure of a nation is found not only in its economy or its achievements, but in the opportunities it creates for its young people. An education system that inspires confidence, rewards merit and nurtures curiosity is one of a nation’s greatest strengths,” he noted. PTILook into eyes of youth who bled on streets protesting: Kharge to PM ModiJuly 23, 2026 10:56 amNew Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to look into the eyes of the youth who bled on the streets protesting. After Modi made a strong pitch in favour of the youth, saying those who play with their future would not be spared, Kharge stated that all doors for the youth have been shut and asked where should they go. “Narendramodi ji, Education system has corroded under your watch. We do not need platitudes or peacemeal announcements. Your government lathicharged the youth, used pellet guns, shock batons, indiscriminate brutality with impunity, as if they are not our own children,” he said on X while referring to the student protests against exam irregularities. “Come out of your air-conditioned ivory towers and look into the eyes of the young men and women who bled on the streets, fighting your dictatorship,” he said. PTIDelhi Police ACP sustained head injury, bruises in stone-pelting near Jantar Mantar: RML HospitalJuly 23, 2026 10:34 amNew Delhi: A Delhi Police ACP was brought to RML Hospital here with a head injury and multiple bruises after a stone-pelting incident near Jantar Mantar, hospital authorities said on Thursday. “ACP, Connaught Place, Vivek Bhagat, was brought to the Emergency Department of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital following the reported incident of stone pelting last night near Jantar Mantar. “On examination, he was found to have multiple bruises over both the upper and lower limbs, along with the shoulder, and swelling over the parieto-occipital region (back of the head). The patient also gave a history of ear bleeding and vomiting,” the hospital said in a statement. PTI‘You are the one who has harmed the future of our youth the most’: Rahul to PMJuly 23, 2026 10:12 amNew Delhi: The Congress on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing the country’s students after he announced fast-track courts for cases related to examination paper leaks, saying the Centre had allowed the education system to collapse while protecting those responsible. The party’s response came after Modi said the government had decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure the speedy trial and punishment of those involved in examination paper leaks. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said it was the Prime Minister who had caused the greatest damage to the future of the country’s youth. “You are the one who has harmed the future of our youth the most. You allowed and encouraged the total capture and destruction of our education system and protected every person responsible for it,” Gandhi said. TNSSurjewala gives adjournment notice in Rajya Sabha, seeks discussion on NEET paper leakJuly 23, 2026 9:57 amNew Delhi: Congress MP Randeep Surjewala on Thursday gave a notice for the suspension of all business in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the NEET paper leak, police action against protesting students and education reforms. “I hereby give notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) of my intention to move the following motion for the suspension of business listed for July 23, 2026. PTIPM Modi announces fast-track courts to ensure swift punishment in paper leak casesJuly 23, 2026 9:38 amNew Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure the speedy trial and punishment of those involved in examination paper leaks. Speaking for the second time in two days amid ongoing student protests, the PM stressing that “nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth”. TNSPaper leak serious issue, my heart goes out to those hurt: Salman KhanJuly 23, 2026 8:58 amNew Delhi: Calling paper leak a serious issue, Salman Khan on Wednesday came out in support of protesting students and said his heart goes out to those who were hurt while demonstrating peacefully. The film actor appreciated the stand taken by the students who, he said, have shown dedication, sincerity, and keenness to study hard for their own futures, and for a greater, educated India. PTIDharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is non-negotiable, protest to continue: CJPJuly 23, 2026 8:43 amNew Delhi: Cockroach Janta Party chief spokesperson Saurav Das on Wednesday termed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as “non-negotiable”, adding that the protest would continue until the demand was met. Das said he had spoken to Sonam Wangchuk several times during the day and that they agreed the protest should remain peaceful. ANI