Opposition Leaders Rally Behind Student Protest After Police Action in Delhi
Several opposition leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, visited the protest site at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) to express solidarity with students agitating over irregularities in competitive examinations. The visit came a day after a police crackdown on a 'Sansad Chalo' march.
Mr. Pawar, accompanied by party MP Supriya Sule, met injured protesters and criticised the police action during Monday's attempted march to Parliament. In a statement, Mr. Pawar said the voices of students demanding a transparent examination system cannot be silenced by force, and assured continued support both inside and outside Parliament.
Other political leaders who visited the protest site included Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, AAP leader Gopal Rai, Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K. Mani, and a delegation of Left party parliamentarians.
Earlier, Mr. Kejriwal visited Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital to meet injured students. He noted that one young woman remained in the intensive care unit, and expressed prayers for her recovery. He later interacted with protesters at Jantar Mantar who had returned despite injuries sustained during the police action.
Mr. Raut stated that the movement would continue, threatening a hunger strike if needed. Ms. Moitra alleged that the central government was unable to handle protesters who were not intimidated.
A delegation of Biju Janata Dal MPs, led by Rajya Sabha parliamentary party leader Manas Ranjan Mangaraj, met injured students at the hospital and conveyed party president Naveen Patnaik's sympathies. The delegation demanded a special parliamentary discussion on the police action.
Separately, a delegation of Left MPs visited the protest site and called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make a statement in Parliament regarding the police action.
The visits followed Monday's protests where thousands gathered despite heavy security and prohibitory orders. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd. The protest group began its agitation on June 20, demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and reforms in the education system.
