Parliament was brought to a standstill for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, 22 July, as opposition lawmakers demanded the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak and the police action against student protesters in Delhi.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned repeatedly before being closed for the day, despite the government saying it was prepared to discuss the examination controversy.

Opposition members arrived at Parliament dressed in black and staged a demonstration outside the building before the two Houses met. Led by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, they carried placards reading “Our children’s future is not for sale” and “Save lives, stop NEET”.

Inside the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said the opposition would not accept a discussion unless Pradhan first stepped down.

“No discussion till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns,” the leader of the opposition said as members pressed for the suspension of regular business to take up the NEET issue and alleged police violence against protesters.

Opposition MPs submitted notices under Rule 267, which allows the Rajya Sabha to suspend its scheduled agenda to discuss an urgent issue.

The notices covered the examination leak, the police action at Jantar Mantar and the detention of political leaders during demonstrations.

Pradhan said the government was committed to discussing NEET and addressing the genuine concerns of students on the floor of Parliament.

Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the timing and duration of a debate would be decided after consultation with political parties.

The offer failed to restore order because the two sides remained divided over whether a debate could proceed while Pradhan remained in office.

The government accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of retreating from a discussion after demanding one. The opposition said a debate alone was inadequate after repeated examination failures and the police action against students.

Chandra Shekhar Aazad, the Azad Samaj Party member from Nagina, staged a separate sit-in inside the Parliament complex to protest the treatment of demonstrators. Other opposition members continued slogan-shouting inside the Houses, preventing sustained legislative business.

Protesters remain at Jantar Mantar

Outside Parliament, supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, continued their sit-in at Jantar Mantar. The group warned that the movement would expand if talks with the government failed to produce action. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said “millions more” could travel to Delhi if its demands were not addressed.

The protesters are seeking Pradhan’s resignation, accountability for examination failures, compensation for families of students who died by suicide and broader reforms to prevent paper leaks and irregularities.

Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange Patil visited Jantar Mantar and met CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, adding another prominent activist to the movement’s list of public supporters.

The sit-in followed Monday’s attempted march towards Parliament, when protesters clashed with police at several locations in central Delhi. Police used tear gas and batons, while authorities said sections of the crowd threw stones and damaged vehicles.

A Delhi Police internal account said clashes occurred at Sansad Marg, the Rail Bhawan roundabout, Jantar Mantar and the Janpath-Connaught Place area. Police described the force used as “mild”, an assessment disputed by protesters and opposition parties.

Videos showing men in civilian clothes wielding police batons prompted Delhi Police headquarters to instruct all personnel deployed at Jantar Mantar to report in uniform. Officers were also told to exercise restraint and avoid unnecessary confrontation with demonstrators.

The condition of one of the most seriously injured protesters improved on Wednesday. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital said a 21-year-old woman had been taken off ventilator support and was conscious and breathing independently. The hospital said scans of her brain and spine were normal.

Security presence expands

The Union home ministry approved the deployment of 30 additional companies of central armed police forces in Delhi until 27 July after the city police sought reinforcements.

The deployment includes personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, Rapid Action Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal. Some units were being airlifted from West Bengal.

Sixteen Delhi Metro stations in central parts of the capital were closed during the day because of security concerns, disrupting travel around Parliament, Jantar Mantar and adjoining government districts.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose hunger strike helped broaden support for the campaign, had been transferred from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on Tuesday night following an order from the Delhi High Court. His vital signs were stable at the time of transfer.

Political deadlock deepens

The day clarified the positions of the government and the opposition but did little to bridge them. The central government has moved from resisting opposition demands to offering a parliamentary discussion and promising examination reforms. Pradhan has shown no indication that he plans to resign.

The opposition, meanwhile, has linked the examination controversy with the police response to the protests and is treating the minister’s resignation as a condition for restoring normal proceedings.

The CJP has also maintained organizational distance from established political parties, even as opposition leaders adopt its demands. That creates a delicate balance for the movement: parliamentary support raises pressure on the government but risks allowing party politics to overshadow its student-led character.

The immediate test is whether all-party consultations can produce an agreed parliamentary discussion on Thursday. Without that, the Monsoon Session is likely to lose another day to a dispute that has moved well beyond the original examination leak.