India News | JP Nadda Holds Talks with CJP Delegation; over 118 Police Personnel Injured During Parliament March

New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): The Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) protest over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak intensified on Monday as a party delegation met Union Health Minister JP Nadda to press its demands, while a march towards Parliament turned violent, leaving over 118 police personnel injured, according to Delhi Police.

Today, a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) met the Union Health Minister JP Nadda over its demands. The Union minister appealed to the protesters to end their sit-in.

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Nadda, who is Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said in a post on X that this morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das said they placed three demands before Nadda, including the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of the NEET aspirants, "more than 20 of whom have lost their lives".

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He said activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is in a hospital, should be "released immediately". Das said that the protest will continue till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.

As per the Delhi officials, during today's protest by CJP in the New Delhi area, the protesters displayed unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour. Despite repeated warnings and lawful directions issued by the police, they refused to disperse and deliberately violated the prohibitory orders in force. The protesters attacked police personnel with stones and other objects, attempted to breach police barricades, vandalised police and other government vehicles, damaged public property, and resorted to large-scale violence, posing a serious threat to public order, the security arrangements in place, and the safety of police personnel performing their lawful duties.

As a result, more than 118 police personnel sustained injuries, including senior officers of the ranks of Special Commissioner of Police, Joint Commissioner of Police, Additional Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police, besides several women police personnel. During the scuffle, around 60 protesters were also reported to get injured.

The medico-legal examination (MLC) of the remaining injured police personnel is underway. The violent mob also caused extensive damage to public property. Around 15 to 20 government vehicles, along with other government property, were vandalised during the incident.

Around 70 protesters have been detained. Appropriate legal action is being initiated, and an FIR is being registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and other applicable laws for rioting, assault on public servants, damage to public property and other offences committed during the protest.

While providing the first official law enforcement briefing on the high-intensity demonstrations in central Delhi, the Delhi Police confirmed they resorted to crowd-control measures following instances of violence, including stone-pelting, from the crowd.

Speaking to ANI, Madhur Verma, the Joint Commissioner of Police (Joint CP) for the Central Range, stated that the student march toward Parliament had violated active prohibitory orders, transforming the gathering into an unauthorised congregation that required immediate 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 told ANI.

Meanwhile, more than 50 police and paramilitary personnel were injured in today's violence, including IPS and DANIPS officers, as CJP embarked on a protest march to Parliament, Delhi Police sources said today.

Police is registering cases regarding the violence. Sources said that police detained several protesters and individuals involved in the violence from various locations.

Additionally, Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, criticised the Centre's handling of the ongoing protests, saying the government had "failed miserably" to address the aspirations of the country's youth and that "force cannot suppress a nationwide youth movement."

"They are being asked to wait for the decision. So, we are also here waiting for that. But I want to add that this is a movement that has caught the imagination of the entire nation. We have people here from the whole country... The police and the government are only resorting to lies to control the situation or a misuse of power. They are just doing lathi-charge or using lies," Angmo said.

Opposition leaders criticised the alleged police action against protesters during the protest, accusing the Centre of suppressing dissent and demanding accountability over the examination controversy.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him the "most youth-hostile Prime Minister in India's history" and alleging that students demanding justice over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak were being met with "batons instead of answers."

"Prime Minister Modi is the most youth-hostile Prime Minister in India's history--so youth-hostile that he can't even demand the resignation of a failed Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. 152 paper leaks. 7.5 crore students victimised. And not a single guilty person punished. Who got the punishment? The hardworking youth. And when these children raised legitimate questions about education, they were met with batons and detention in response. The criminals who leaked the papers roam free--and the students raising valid issues are dragged around, beaten. This government isn't just failing the youth--it's pouncing on them," Gandhi said.

Former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee also condemned the alleged police action against protesting youth and students in Delhi, questioning the democratic credentials of the central government.

In a post on X, the former West Bengal CM slammed the use of force on the demonstrators and stated that accountability from the dispensation is non-negotiable.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on the Centre over the police action against students, calling the Modi government "extremely arrogant" for using force against peaceful protesters.

"The youth of our country are currently deeply distressed and angry. Consider the condition of our country's examination system: first, there were paper leaks; then, a massive scam emerged in the UPSC evaluation process, resulting in incorrect scores being awarded to students. Subsequently, the NEET examination was conducted and then re-conducted, yet the entire evaluation system was still plagued by errors," he said.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) criticised the alleged police action against protesting youth and students in Delhi over the alleged NEET exam paper leak.

He called the alleged lathicharge on peaceful demonstrators "undemocratic and shameful" and urged the Union government to stop "muzzling dissent."

In a post on X, KTR wrote, "Delhi Police lathicharging peaceful, unarmed protestors is extremely undemocratic and shameful. You cannot answer questions with lathis and tear gas. The Constitution gives every citizen the right to question. That right cannot be beaten out of us"

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The duo of the Minister of Education and the Prime Minister has completely ruined this country's education system. This youth- and student-hostile government has snatched away the future of the youth. Now, as the youth's patience is wearing thin and they are taking to the streets demanding changes in the education system, this government's police are raining lathis on them and firing tear gas shells. Not a single word has come out of the Prime Minister's mouth for the country's youth. When millions of students want to discuss exams and education, he remains silent, and his police are showering them with batons. The Prime Minister may pretend to ignore the students' outcry, but he cannot overlook it for long."

Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, "I strongly condemn the high-handedness of the police against CJP youth who were peacefully participating in a rally over the NEET discrepancies. The visuals from Delhi are shocking. Instead of addressing their concerns, the government is responding with its police force. This is unacceptable in a democracy. For more than a decade now, DMK has been advocating abolition of NEET. Today, Tamil Nadu's voice against NEET is resonating across the nation, including from the national capital. The demand of the Nation's Youth is clear. Listen to them".

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hema Malini defended the administration's track record on education and criticised the strategy of street agitation. She urged the demonstrating youth to choose structured discussions over disruptive protests.

Speaking to the reporters, she said, "If there is a problem, it should be discussed properly. Protesting in this manner won't achieve anything. As for the country's youth and the education system, our Modi government has always stood by them and done a great deal of work; given that, the protests you are staging now make no sense at all. All I would say is that this matter should be resolved through dialogue."

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk continues to receive medical treatment at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital, where doctors say his condition remains stable.

According to the health bulletin released on Monday, his vital parameters are within a stable range.

The bulletin said that while his blood sugar levels remain on the lower side, other blood parameters have shown improvement following oral rehydration therapy (ORS) and potassium syrup supplementation.

A multidisciplinary team of specialists from the hospital and AIIMS New Delhi is closely monitoring his health. Doctors said continued clinical observation is necessary to support his recovery from mild to moderate dehydration and to detect any potential complications at an early stage.

Hospital authorities stated that all necessary medical care is being provided, and future treatment decisions will depend on his clinical progress and the results of ongoing laboratory investigations.

Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Pradhan over the NEET exam paper leak, was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)