India's Jantar Mantar protests see workers endure police crackdown after minister's resignation

Following a police crackdown on July 20 at the Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi, dozens of working‑class men—including a 27‑year‑old cobbler named Arun and a plumber/electrician named Mohammed Shahrukh Ansari—reported injuries from lathi charges. The protest, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), had drawn students, parents, professionals and influencers, but these labourers traveled from across north India to support the movement.

The day after the crackdown, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the CJP announced that the government had accepted all of its demands, prompting the protestors to disperse. Participants said they learned about the protest and the crackdown primarily through Instagram, and many feared detention or future reprisals.