Supreme Court and Political Leaders Respond to July 20 Student Protests in Delhi

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition seeking accountability for the organizers of the July 20 Sansad Chalo march in Delhi, during which violence broke out. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and two other justices stated that young protesters should be pacified and counselled, warning that aggressive state action could aggravate tensions. The petition, filed by former Indian Air Force officer Manish Solanki, alleges that organizers violated twenty two conditions and that stone pelters should not be allowed to escape accountability through community service. The court directed that this plea be tagged with other pending petitions regarding student protests and alleged police excesses.

Simultaneously, the Rajya Sabha Chairman, CP Radhakrishnan, asked the Union government to consider requests from Opposition parties for Home Minister Amit Shah to appear in the House. Opposition MPs have demanded a statement from the Home Minister regarding the use of excessive force by security personnel during the July 20 crackdown, which involved the use of lathis, tear gas, and pellet guns. These protests, which began on June 6 and were led by the Cockroach Janta Party over competitive examination mismanagement, eventually led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on July 25.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat also commented on the events during a Mumbai event. While stating he lacked complete information to determine who was right or wrong regarding the alleged use of pellet guns, Bhagwat expressed faith in Gen Z and Gen Alpha, describing them as honest generations that seek logical answers.