Delhi Police Disperses Protest March to Parliament Amid Growing Discontent Over Paper Leaks

Four years after the Prime Minister inaugurated the Central Vista Avenue and renamed Rajpath as Kartavya Path, police jeeps and motorcycle-borne personnel drove on the verdant lawns on Monday, July 20, 2026, chasing down protesters who had gathered for a march to Parliament.

The call for the protest was given by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a newly formed social media movement demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. However, the discontent among protesters extended beyond anger over a spate of paper leak incidents. Many expressed frustration over what they perceived as the government’s indifference to their concerns.

Several protesters reported that they or their families had previously supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), making their disappointment more acute. “How can the government continue to ignore the spate of paper leaks?” asked Sadhna Singh, who requested her real name be withheld for fear of retribution. She noted that the government sends regular updates on social media but had not acknowledged the protests.

Another protester, Kavita Verma, 50, had voted for the BJP since 2014. “I felt pride for the brilliant roads they gave us. They did good work in the initial years, but it has been a sharp downslide. People can clearly see Narendra Modi’s arrogance. You cannot run a country on the power of a lathi,” she said. She expressed anger that peaceful protests were disrupted with lathis and tear gas.

By 1 p.m., a group of protesters was resting near the artificial water body on Rafi Marg after being dispersed from near the Press Club of India. Metro stations had been closed, leaving many unsure how to return home. The calm broke with a fresh surge of protesters being chased down Rafi Marg by police. Delhi Police vans and buses picked up protesters at random. Some ran to the India Gate lawns, where police motorcycles and vans drove onto the grass to disperse them.

Rachna Chawla, 26, an IT professional, noted that while anger over paper leaks was a starting point, the protests had grown beyond that. She voted for the BJP in the past but now hopes for political change. “For the first few hours the movement was unhindered, but something changed after noon,” she said, as police sirens and honking filled the air.

Nishant, 26, from Nawada, Bihar, expressed anger not only about paper leaks but about low wages, long working hours, cramped housing, school closures in his village, rising inflation, and ethanol-mixed petrol affecting his motorcycle. “I voted for BJP, twice,” he said. “The government is blind, mute and deaf. It can’t see the protests, it can’t hear our complaints.”