Thousands step out to support youth protests across India: Lathi-charge in Kolkata, 3 held in Assam

Solidarity demonstrations in support of the youth protests in central Delhi over alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations continued across the country on Friday.

The protests began on June 6, when the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign began an agitation at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the alleged mismanagement of national competitive exams.

On Sunday, thousands joined the protest in Delhi after the police forced activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike, into hospital. A march to Parliament on Monday was met with a brutal crackdown by the police. Dozens were injured by police lathis and had to brave tear gas.

The police action widened the support for the agitation, which soon spread to other parts of the country.

A spider man, young girls, masked boys, office goers. pic.twitter.com/sjlMOmLfAo— Tabassum Barnagarwala (@tabassum_b) July 24, 2026

Amid the nationwide protests on Friday, three Muslim men were arrested in Assam for allegedly creating a WhatsApp group to mobilise support for the protests, while the police carried out a lathi-charge at a demonstration in Kolkata.

Assam

In Assam’s Lakhimpur district, the three men had created the WhatsApp group to mobilise support for the protests and allegedly urged members to create a “Nepal-like situation”, a senior...

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