21 July 2026 10:21 AM IST
Not Far From The Madding CrowdIt is a humid day in Delhi today, with light showers as the forecast predicts. However, given the political heat that lies ahead, it is unlikely anyone will really bother about the weather in Jantar Mantar or all the way from the protest venue to the Parliament. For now, it seems neither side is backing out — whether the satirical platform Cockroach Janta Party or the government — much like the US-Iran war where peace is just shredded to pieces despite talks.Protesters have already assembled at Jantar Mantar and they look determined to resume their march towards Parliament today. They seem to have the resolve of Spain to score a victory, but the security personnel deployed are striving to leave no holes in their defence.On Monday, over 100 cops and over 60 protesters were injured after police used lathicharge and teargas shells to disperse crowds. Today, the fate of the bones and blood of either side is not known yet. It all depends on how wildly the baton will swing or if an aimless stone might find a skull to smash.Just to give a background on why all this is happening: it is because of the leaked NEET-UG paper that shook the very sanctity of those critical entrance exams.Yesterday, a CJP team met Union Minister JP Nadda and put forth three demands — the release of Sonam Wangchuk with no restriction on his movement, the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Rs1 crore compensation for all NEET aspirants who died by suicide following the NEET paper leaks.There were talks, but this tunnel of protests is yet to see the light of peace. On Tuesday morning, Pradhan bowed to the Guru on X. “The foundation of meditation is the Guru’s image, the foundation of worship is the Guru’s feet, the foundation of mantra is the Guru’s words, and the foundation of liberation is the Guru’s grace,” he tweeted. The minister indeed urgently needs all the blessings of Lord Jagannath as his rath is on a yatra of chaos.