As students went to cast their votes on Friday, some said the large-scale protests at Jantar Mantar encouraged many to “raise their voices” and take an interest in student politics. However, pointing to thousands of pamphlets strewn on the roads and showing videos of male students harassing women, they said the DUSU elections remained largely a “money-muscle” game.

The elections are usually dominated by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the National Students’ Union of India. This year, the Left joint panel of the All India Students’ Association and the Students’ Federation of India, along with the AAP’s Association of Students for Alternative Politics, hope to carry the Jantar Mantar momentum into the elections.

The Left has campaigned on the claim that “progressive forces” have been at the forefront of struggles such as those at Jantar Mantar and the Satya Niketan protests and therefore have a head start. Many university students attended the Jantar Mantar protest for educational reforms.

Issues and voting

While some students said they preferred to vote based on issues, many said they voted for friends or people they knew.

Sejal Kapoor, a first-year master’s student, said she had voted, but the “throwing of pamphlets, harassment of women students and whistling” made students less interested in politics. She said, “After Jantar Mantar, many students were inspired to take a stand.”

On the other hand, Muskan, who said she goes by her first name and is also a master’s student, said although she did not attend the Jantar Mantar protest, she identified with some of the issues raised there. “I am trying to appear for exams like Staff Selection Commission. When I reached 30 seconds late, I wasn’t allowed to enter. This is ironic because they themselves cancel papers and spoil the entire system,” she said.

The students, however, said such issues had barely featured in the election campaign. They also discussed which organisations had participated in the protests and which had not, but said this was unlikely to influence the outcome of the elections.

A cleaner DUSU

A group of students from the School of Open Learning and the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) protested for a cleaner DUSU. Jyoti, an NCWEB student associated with the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, said, “Just a few minutes ago, a male student made lewd gestures at us. They throw pamphlets around despite the guidelines and look for reasons to touch women students. This is how the money-muscle game works here.”

Himanshi, a first-year student at Hansraj College, did not vote. “There is no point voting because nobody really raises our issues. Hostels remain shut; we have gaushalas (cowsheds) in college instead of hostels, but nobody speaks about this,” she said.

A week after the 36-day protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) ended at Jantar Mantar, students continue to return to the site, not to stage fresh demonstrations, but to counter what they describe as a wave of misleading social media posts falsely portraying the protest as ongoing.

Instagram has been flooded with videos claiming to show “live” scenes of students clashing with police and marching through heavy security at Jantar Mantar. Carrying timestamps including August 1, July 31 and July 30, several of the clips have amassed millions of views, fuelling speculation that the protest is continuing despite having officially concluded.

One video claiming to be a 6 a.m. update on August 1 has crossed 2.8 million views. Another, presented as a 6.30 a.m. update on July 31, has received 1.9 million views, while other similarly labelled clips have attracted tens of thousands of views.

The viral posts have prompted representatives of student organisations to visit the protest site, enquire with locals and even seek access to CCTV footage in an attempt to publicly refute what they call a fabricated narrative.

On Saturday (August 1) evening, the stretch from Patel Chowk Metro station to Jantar Mantar remained under heavy security. Personnel from the Delhi Police, Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) stood along the route, with police buses and patrol vehicles stationed every few metres. Workers were simultaneously repainting the yellow barricades erected outside the protest site, even as visitors and students continued to walk through the area.

A man welds the barricades of Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi, India, July 31, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

“We have been seeing videos on Instagram claiming there are fresh protests by student unions at Jantar Mantar. We came here to verify and debunk those claims,” said Bhim Kumar, a representative of the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS).

“We spoke to local vendors, student organisations and media personnel, who confirmed no protests have taken place. Police officials have also termed these claims baseless. No student organisation has announced any protest after July 28, but these videos are misleading people into believing demonstrations are still continuing. They are also weakening our cause,” he said.

Student representatives said they also approached those handling CCTV cameras in the area to verify whether any gatherings had taken place. “So far we have not found any evidence to ascertain such protests. We will now discuss the issue with other student organisations before approaching the police with a formal complaint seeking action against the social media handles circulating the videos.

Other students also visited Jantar Mantar to coordinate legal assistance for protesters facing cases in different States and to review developments relating to FIRs registered during the agitation.

Mudita, who participated throughout the 36-day protest, said the movement had shifted from street demonstrations to outreach. “We are continuing to reach students across colleges and universities to discuss the larger problems in the education system. The protest was never only about seeking the Minister’s resignation, it was about addressing deeper structural issues. We are also working on concerns faced by student protesters, including FIRs registered in different States,” she said.

For traders around Jantar Mantar, however, the online misinformation has translated into quieter streets and lower sales. “People still believe the protest is continuing and are afraid to come here. Business has dropped sharply over the past week because visitors are staying away. For a Saturday, this is unusually quiet,” said Dharmender, who manages a 40-year-old sweet shop overlooking the protest site.

At a neighbouring juice stall, Sunny said business had been slowly recovering but remained below normal.“The situation became difficult after the protest. Students still come here every day, and office-goers have also started returning gradually,” he said.

An ice cream vendor outside the visitor entrance echoed the sentiment, saying the decline in footfall had significantly affected sales despite the hot weather.

Students from various Left organisations held a protest at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday against the “police crackdown” in States such as West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam on protesters who participated in the 36-day stir led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in New Delhi.

The protest, the first at Jantar Mantar since the CJP called off its stir on July 25, started at 3 p.m. and continued for around two hours. The call was issued by 13 outfits, including the Students’ Federation of India, All India Students’ Association (AISA), Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, and All India Students’ Federation.

AISA national president Neha, who was on hunger strike for 23 days in the CJP-led stir, was also present at the protest.

Barricades welded together at Jantar Mantar.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Students held up placards and posters that read ‘Rise in rage’ and ‘Stop implicating students on false charges’. Some also called for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over “police brutality” during the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march.

The protesters walked past barricades welded together by the police to create an enclosed space and regulate entry.

‘Not terrorists’

Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Wednesday demanded action against those responsible for ordering the use of pellet guns on July 20. Asserting that “students are not terrorists”, Mr. Dipke warned that a fresh agitation on a “much bigger scale” would be launched if “harassment” by police forces continues. “In many States, police are visiting the homes of students and threatening them with arrests,” he told reporters at the Aurangabad airport on his way home.

In a post on X, the CJP accused the Delhi police of issuing takedown notices and registering FIRs to remove social media posts criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

When reached for comment, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) Vinit Kumar said, “We send notices for content that spreads misinformation, has AI-generated or deepfake content or is misleading in any form. The process is part of our social media monitoring.”

(With inputs from PTI)

The new academic session at Delhi University (DU) opened on Tuesday to a familiar sight — nervous freshers, returning seniors and long registration queues. Amid the downpour and low attendance, campuses buzzed with conversations around the recently concluded protest at Jantar Mantar.

Many who watched the protest unfold from outside Delhi or stayed back out of concern for their safety said they regretted not being present on the ground.

With the DU Students’ Union elections approaching, student organisations also began their campaigns with help desks and pamphlet distribution. Some students questioned the absence of the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from the agitation. The ABVP had earlier defended its position, saying it was raising students’ issues through platforms other than the Jantar Mantar protest.

A faculty member said fewer students attended orientation sessions due to the rain.

Outside the college gates, Soundarya, a fresher at Shri Ram College of Commerce, expressed regret at not having attended the stir at Jantar Mantar.

“I couldn’t join the protest at Jantar Mantar due to security concerns, and I truly regret that. It was a much-needed movement, and I stand in support of the students who raised their voices,” she said.

Outside the gates of Daulat Ram College, Divya Dewana, a third-year student, reflected on watching the protests unfold.

“Seeing all the students, the Gen Z, come together was a good feeling,” she said. “Everyone was speaking up for their rights, what they found wrong and asking for a change.”

Inside the college, at the college orientation, Shubhi Yadav, a third-year student, spoke about the brutality she witnessed. “On July 20, we had gathered peacefully with banners, asking for justice and accountability. But after 3 p.m., tear gas and lathi charge turned violent. Male policemen harassed women and even beat schoolchildren. A sixth-standard child suffered a fractured leg.”

She added, “Labelling students demanding their right to education as ‘anti-nationals’ is unjust in a democracy. Quick and strict action must be taken against the unethical actions and misconduct by the police.”

(Antra Abhilasha contributed to the reporting of this story)

Amid the sea of students and placards at Jantar Mantar, some of the youngest faces were children barely two years old, perched on their parents’ shoulders or walking while clutching their fingers.

For many parents, joining the protest was both an act of defiance and a demand for a better future for their children.

On Saturday evening, after news broke of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Salman, 35, arrived at the protest site with his three children, the youngest a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

“We were following the movement but couldn’t come as we have three children. Today, when we heard he had resigned, we rushed here to celebrate,” Mr. Salman said, as a protester distributed “Melody” chocolates to the children.

He added that his eldest son had urged them to attend. “Paper leak nahi hona chahiye,” said Mohammad Saad, 11.

Similar scenes were witnessed on earlier days as well.

Around 11 p.m. on Friday, Kanchan, 34, a make-up artist from Karol Bagh, came with her three-year-old son, dressed as a doctor with a stethoscope around his neck.

“It is my second day here. We are here for the future of our children. We can tell them that students endured lathi-charge for them,” she said.

“We can also tell them that they were part of it. When people see small children here, they may also step out,” she added. “After July 20, we felt we should come. We felt very bad.”

Her neighbour, Monika Shersiya, 39, who joined after seeing them, came with her two-year-old son, Sam, dressed as Mahatma Gandhi.

“I came with my child so that what is happening to these students does not happen to him. The government does not seem to care even if people die,” she said.

She added that they had been at the site for four hours and her son was getting restless. “After seeing videos of students being beaten, including with lathis with nails, we had to come,” she said.

On Thursday, Sarfaraz Khan, 47, a tailor from Burari, came with his two-year-old son, Zorin, in his arms.

“We have supported the movement from the start, but this is our first time here. This is for the students who died and for the future of our children,” he said.

Mr. Khan, who studied up to Class IX, said that if he did not stand with the protesting students now, no one would stand with his children in the future.

Thousands of people continued to turn up at the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar on Friday, even as the restrictions around the authorities closed the entry and exit gates at 18 metro stations, two more than were closed the previous day. Internet services remained suspended at Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg and parts of central Delhi for the third consecutive day.

The protest’s momentum appeared undimmed despite the restrictions. Following their meeting with Union Ministers, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said they would call for a nationwide stir on the lines of the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march if the government does not agree to their demand to oust Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan within the next two days.

‘Here for my son’

At Sansad Marg, 25-year-old Afroza from Mehrauli was dressed in shades of the tricolour and handing out water bottles. “My son wanted to join, but I told him I would go on his behalf. I didn’t know about this protest until July 18, when a relative called me and asked if I had visited the site,” she said.

For the past two days, Ms. Afroza, who has never been to school, has been finishing her chores by 11 a.m. and heading to Jantar Mantar. This is what she plans to do on Saturday as well. She had brought along four packs of water bottles to distribute. “When I came here yesterday, I saw people buying water bottles. No one at such a place should be charged for water. So, my husband and I bought these,” she said.

Many volunteers were tasked with maintaining peace and order amid the large turnout, with several deployed at the entry and exit gates to prevent overcrowding at the main protest site. Arun Singh from Uttar Pradesh has been volunteering at the food counter since he arrived at the protest site on July 19.

Protesters continue to occupy a stretch of Sansad Marg from Connaught Place to Tolstoy Marg while the remaining stretch is held by security forces, with heavy deployment of personnel and riot-control vehicles. CJP volunteers have formed a human chain separating the protesters from the police.

The gap between the police barricades and the swelling line of protesters became all too stark on Thursday with both sides zealously guarding their end of Sansad Marg. While thousands of protesters continued to occupy a stretch of the Sansad Marg – leading from Connaught Place to Tolstoy Marg – security forces and riot control vehicles stood guard at the rest of the arterial road leading to Parliament House.

Following minor clashes between the police and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters the previous night, security was stepped up on Thursday and Internet was suspended around the area. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told the media that “Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) goons” have infiltrated the protest and are engaging in stone-pelting. “People are being sent from outside to deliberately disrupt the protest. We have been sitting here for a month. No such incident has happened in a month. But now, as this protest has grown, goons are being sent from outside by the BJP to deliberately incite people and are pelting stones. The police bring trucks of stones here and then the BJP’s goons pelt these stones to defame the people of CJP.”

As thousands continued to gather at Jantar Mantar, CJP volunteers formed a human chain separating the protesters and the police. “They have been here since last night and throughout the day too. There has been no untoward incident so far today,” a police officer on duty said.

Regular cellular service was patchy at the protest site. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued orders since July 22 to suspend Internet services in and around a 1.5 km radius of Jantar Mantar. The latest order under The Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, was effective till 12 a.m., Thursday. The previous order, issued on July 22, blocked Internet in the area for 12 hours till 6 a.m. on Thursday. It was further suspended from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and extended till 12 a.m. by invoking another order under the 2024 provision.

The groundswell

The crowd kept swelling through the day despite the authorities shutting down 16 metro stations and the police stopping students travelling in autorickshaws from reaching the protest site citing prohibitory orders.

Around 2.30 p.m. near Nizamuddin, the Delhi police set up two barricades and were stopping autorickshaws with young people going to the protest site about 5 km away.

“We are only stopping students who are going for the protest as ‘Section 144’ [now Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita] is in place. We are making them understand that they could get injured over there,” a police officer at Nizamuddin said, adding that they were not stopping other vehicles or people in autorickshaws going for other work.

A group of students who were removed from their autorickshaw said the police were not letting them walk towards Jantar Mantar either.

At Jantar Mantar, several people said they faced difficulties as the metro stations were shut. Simran Kaur, 21, a Delhi University student, and her friend got down at the New Delhi metro station and walked for about 3 km to reach the protest site. “Autos were not coming to this area and we had no other option,” she said.

Vishwamohini, 19, a BA History (Hons) student, said she took a bike taxi to reach the protest. “There were a lot of diversions and it took longer than usual and we had to walk the last bit.”

“Despite 16 metro stations being closed and students being stopped on their way to the protest site for the second consecutive day, thousands are still here. The actual size of the protest is much, much bigger as a lot of people are not able to reach here. The crowd you see here is only the tip of the iceberg,” said N. Sai Balaji, former All India Students’ Association national president, who has been at the protest site since the stir began on June 20.

Large-scale disruptions were reported by metro passengers on Wednesday after the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) closed the entry and exit gates at 16 stations for seven hours as part of restrictions around the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar.

While the DMRC announced the closures at stations along the Violet, Yellow and Blue Lines around 11.30 a.m., many passengers, including students and office-goers, said they had already boarded trains before receiving the information. Others reported they never received any notification.

Some protesters could be heard shouting slogans at stations in central Delhi where gates were shut.

The 16 stations included Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Central Secretariat, ITO, Jor Bagh and Shivaji Stadium. Interchange facilities at these stations were operational, the DMRC said.

‘Can’t stop work’

“People have to go to work, hospitals, appointments and exhibitions. You can’t stop people from living their lives,” said Tarun Atrey, a shopkeeper who runs a stall at Dilli Haat. He could not attend an exhibition to sell his wares at Patel Chowk because of the restrictions. “I didn’t face any issues in the morning when I got off at INA, which was open,” said Mr. Atrey, adding that he was unaware of the closure.

He ended up wasting an hour and eventually returned to INA. “The gates did not open at many stations. What’s the use of letting people change lines if they can’t leave the station?” he said.

‘Missed NEET class’

Priyanshu, a Class 12 student preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), said he missed his coaching class due to the restrictions.

“I was on my way when I found out that Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Janpath and Jor Bagh metro stations had been closed. I had no choice but to change my route completely and take the Pink Line from Jharoda Majra metro station. By the time I reached, the class was over.”

“The closures caused thousands of people to converge on the nearest open stations, where the crowd became so dense that it felt like a stampede could happen at any moment,” he added.

‘Wasted hours, money’

Chirag, who works at a multinational firm, said he took an autorickshaw to reach his office in south Delhi, which cost him extra time and money.

“My salary is only ₹15,000 a month. How are we supposed to keep paying for autos and other transport every time our commute is disrupted? These decisions should be made with the public’s interest in mind,” Mr. Chirag said.

Indresh, a worker at a food outlet in Khan Market, said the closure prolonged his usual 40-minute metro journey to a 90-minute road commute.

(Ekka Kant Kohli contributed to the reporting of this story)

The Cockroach Janata Party has been at the Jantar Mantar protest site in New Delhi since June 06, 2026, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The movement started as a satirical online campaign over remarks of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant against youths, and later demanding accountability for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leaks.

It has now snowballed into a protest involving Ladakhi climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who began a hunger strike on June 28, 2026. Mr Wangchuk was forcibly taken to the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital by Delhi Police personnel in the wee hours of June 18. Abhijeet Dipke, CJP’s founder, is now on a hunger strike, who called for a ‘night vigil.’ 

Mr.nMr.Dipke“Delhi Police is planning to crackdown on our protest during night or early hours of morning-silencing the voice of the youth. We request everyone to join us for night vigil at Jantar Mantar, so that together we can march to Sansad on 20th,” he said in a video posted on the CJP’s social media.

The Hindu visited the protest site. Here are a few glimpses.

Photo:
Akul Baiju

A family at the protest.

Photo:
Akul Baiju

Man holding a poster with a version of Adam Gondvi’s poetry.

Photo:
Akul Baiju

People socialising in front of the dias at Jantar Mantar

Photo:
Akul Baiju

“When will democracy open a customer care,” says a poster at Jantar Mantar

An umbrella with messages from people from different parts of the country.

Photo:
Akul Baiju

Bhim Army founder and MP Chandrasekhar Azad with CJP’s Saurav Das.