Cinema VinesOn July 20, a massive student rally unfolded at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, drawing an estimated 50,000 participants who marched to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest, part of the Chalo Sansad movement, was organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and had been staged at the same site for a month. The demonstrators, many of them Gen Z students, marched toward Parliament in a display of peaceful dissent that ultimately turned violent when security forces intervened.
Khushboo Patani, sister of Bollywood actress Disha Patani, attended the march in disguise, wearing a mask and cap to blend in. She documented her experience on Instagram Stories, praising the safety of the protest area and noting that men had protected women by covering their heads and stepping back to avoid any harassment. Khushboo highlighted that while the crowd numbered in the lakhs, law enforcement presence was limited to only a few thousand, and she described how the police used lathi charges and tear gas shells to disperse the marchers.
In her posts, Khushboo emphasized that the students had chosen a peaceful approach, refusing to raise their hands despite the forceful response from security. She recounted seeing women being beaten and men being struck, and she shared her own experience of running away as the situation escalated. Khushboo expressed admiration for the Gen Z protesters’ spirit and resilience, noting that the violence was disproportionate to the peaceful nature of the demonstration.
The CJP-led protest had earlier attracted social activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the rally and began a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. The demonstrators’ demands centered on educational reforms and the alleged NEET paper leaks that prompted calls for the minister’s resignation. Despite the peaceful intentions of the students, the confrontation with security forces left many injured and sparked widespread media attention.
