Atleast 150 detained during 'Sansad Chalo' protest in Ahmedabad

Atleast 150 people were briefly detained by Ahmedabad Police on Monday after they assembled without permission in support of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) nationwide "Sansad Chalo" protest against alleged irregularities in the education system and repeated examination paper leaks.The demonstrators, including students, parents, children, senior citizens and activists, gathered outside the M.J. Library before marching towards the Nehru Bridge crossroads. The protest was also held in solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk, who is continuing his indefinite hunger strike over education reforms.
Several protesters carried handmade placards, copies of the Constitution and banners demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities and calling for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan."There have been more than 22 paper leaks in Gujarat alone. Thousands of government schools have been shut down, forcing lakhs of children to discontinue their studies due to unaffordable private education. We demand action, accountability, reforms, answers and resignations," protester Swati Goswami said.During the demonstration, city photographer Heer distributed roses among the protesters as a symbolic gesture of peaceful protest.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Sector 1) Neeraj Badgujar said police detained protesters from Law Garden, Ellisbridge and nearby areas for assembling without prior permission. He added that all those detained were later released.

VIDEO | Ahmedabad: Police detain over 150 students for holding a protest at Ellis Bridge.

JCP Sector-1 Neeraj Badgujar says, "Some people had gathered here today to stage a protest, but they did not have permission. The police detained them as soon as they arrived to… pic.twitter.com/C1lwmfmZhZ

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 20, 2026

According to Gujarat Police, the detainees included students, local activists and several Youth Congress workers.While some protesters alleged that police manhandled activists during the operation, Badgujar rejected the allegations, maintaining that police action was limited to enforcing rules governing public gatherings.Similar demonstrations were also reported in Surat, Junagadh and Bhavnagar. In Surat, police intervened after protesters gathered outside the Collectorate.The Ahmedabad protest coincided with the CJP's large-scale "Sansad Chalo" march at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where thousands gathered despite heavy rain and heightened security.Police maintained that the detentions in Ahmedabad were carried out solely because the organisers had not obtained prior permission to hold the protest.

(State Correspondent)