‘These Kids Have Courage’: Parents and Veterans Join Jantar Mantar Movement

As dawn settled over Jantar Mantar on Saturday, July 25, 2026, the protest site witnessed a fresh influx of weekend arrivals. While youth demonstrators under the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) banner continued their sit-in, the crowd expanded to include an estimated 1,000 parents, retired personnel, and professionals who traveled from across India to back the movement.

Diverse Demographics at Ground Zero

By Saturday morning, overall turnout reached approximately 5,000 people. With Delhi Police physically restricting commercial delivery riders near Sansad Marg, food supplies were bulk-ordered from Connaught Place and transported into the encampment by auto-rickshaws.

Among the older attendees were retired Air Force personnel from Ghaziabad and families traveling from West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh:

• Keshav, a parent from West Bengal, accompanied his 12-year-old daughter after she insisted on witnessing the movement firsthand. Keshav noted that while he held concerns regarding potential fallout, systemic reforms and ministerial accountability were necessary.
• Dr. Priyank, a surgeon from Indore, arrived alongside his daughter—a medical student in Rishikesh. Priyank cited persistent exam irregularities as the motivation for their participation.
• Neeta (45), an environmental scientist from Gurugram who previously experienced tear gas dispersal at the site on June 20, returned to offer material and moral support to student organizers.
• Anita Dipke, mother of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, arrived at the site following Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation announcement, commending student perseverance over the ten-week agitation.

What We Can Verify

• Turnout and Logistics: Ground reports confirmed an estimated 5,000 attendees by Saturday morning, including roughly 1,000 non-student adults. Food logistics were managed via auto-rickshaw shuttles due to police perimeters blocking delivery couriers.
• Parental Presence: Multiple families from West Bengal, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh publicly verified their presence at Jantar Mantar to support student demands surrounding national examination security.

What Remains Unverified

• Total Inter-State Arrivals: The precise total count of out-of-state families arriving in Delhi specifically for the weekend demonstration remains unverified by Delhi Police traffic authorities [unverified].
• Permit Status for Weekend Tents: Reports that municipal authorities issued formal permits for additional tarpaulin shelters erected on Saturday morning remain unconfirmed by NDMC officials [unverified].