New Delhi ; Delhi Police confirmed on Monday that they took crowd-control measures, including detentions, in response to violent incidents such as stone-pelting during a student demonstration in central Delhi.
Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police for the Central Range, told ANI that the student march towards Parliament violated active prohibitory orders. This turned the gathering into an unlawful assembly requiring police intervention. “There was an unlawful assembly that had to be dealt with; there were some incidents of stone-pelting, and the Delhi Police have detained some protesters. Appropriate action is being taken,” he stated.
According to police sources, over 50 police and paramilitary personnel were injured during the violence, including Indian Police Service (IPS) and Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS) officers, while the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) conducted the protest march to Parliament. Cases regarding the violence are being registered.
Several protesters and individuals involved in the violence were detained from various locations. The police are using video footage to identify others responsible, noting that many individuals had covered their faces. Ten IPS and DANIPS officers are among those injured, and the number of injured officials may rise as treatment continues. The police possess over 40 videos related to the incidents.
In a statement posted on X, Delhi Police appealed to all protesters to maintain peace, exercise restraint, and cooperate to ensure public order. “All participants are requested to conduct themselves peacefully, refrain from indulging in any unlawful or violent activities and comply with the lawful directions issued by police officers/personnel deployed on duty,” the post said. It also urged citizens not to believe or circulate rumours or unverified information, advising reliance on authentic sources.
On Monday, a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party met Union Health Minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, JP Nadda, to present their demands. Nadda said on X that the protesters proposed talks for the first time, with discussions beginning around 11:50 am in a cordial atmosphere. A written petition was submitted at approximately 4 pm, after which Nadda requested the protesters to end their sit-in and assist in restoring normalcy.
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the delegation presented three demands: the immediate release of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is hospitalised; the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan; and compensation of Rs 1 crore to families of NEET aspirants, more than 20 of whom have died. Das confirmed the protest would continue until Pradhan resigns. “We met JP Nadda twice. During the meeting, we stated our three demands. First, that Sonam Wangchuk be released immediately… Second, we demand that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign; he should either be dismissed from the Cabinet or resign voluntarily. The protest will continue until his resignation is secured. Third, we demand compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the NEET aspirants, more than 20 of whom have lost their lives. We approached JP Nadda regarding these demands,” Das told ANI.
In his post on X, Das noted they met at Nadda’s residence for about four hours. He stated, “The demands have been conveyed, including immediate resignation/sacking of Dharmendra Pradhan.” He added, “The Minister assured us he will discuss this at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far. The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met!”
The monsoon session of Parliament began on a stormy note with opposition parties forcing adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, citing demands related to the NEET-UG exam leak among other issues.
