3 min readNew DelhiJul 20, 2026 10:07 AM IST
After a large crowd of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar on Monday morning, Delhi Police sent an urgent message to all 14 districts, asking each to immediately depute one Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)-rank officer along with 100 police personnel to the area. This came despite the deployment of 32 companies of paramilitary forces, comprising more than 2,000 personnel, across New Delhi district. The district had been divided into 12 zones as part of the security arrangements.
The area around Jantar Mantar has been turned into a fortress ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) march to Parliament on Monday morning. The CJP has been protesting in demand of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over leaks of question papers of competitive exams. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, was moved to hospital on Saturday, with Delhi Police citing his health condition. For the protest on Monday, when the Monsoon Session of Parliament begins, the police have warned the protesters against any attempt to march towards the Parliament.
On Sunday evening, Delhi Police headquarters also sent a message to all 15 districts, directing personnel to stop political leaders and their key supporters from leaving their homes for Jantar Mantar on Monday morning. “Police personnel from the districts reached their homes around 5 am and stopped them from going to Jantar Mantar,” a source said.
CJP founder Abhijit Dipke and actor Prakash Raj at Jantar Mantar. Express photo by Praveen Khanna
New CCTVs keep watch
Around 10,000 protesters gathered in New Delhi district near the protest site, even as police sealed routes leading to Parliament and imposed prohibitory orders in the area. Sources said Delhi Police had installed multiple new CCTV cameras over the past 24 hours on roads connecting Jantar Mantar and Parliament. Each of the 12 zones in New Delhi district is being supervised by an officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) or Additional DCP, while an officer of the rank of Joint Commissioner or Additional Commissioner has been tasked to oversee every two zones.
In an internal communication on Monday morning, all districts were asked to send an ACP-rank officer and 100 police personnel each to New Delhi district.
“On Sunday night, DCP (New Delhi district) Sachin Sharma held an online meeting with all police personnel of the district, asking them to avoid confrontation with protesters and keep them calm through persuasion,” a source said.
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