Traces of protest removed from Jantar Mantar in clean-up drive

On Sunday (July 26, 2026), posters were brought down, and graffiti was painted over at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, which hosted a 36-day agitation that culminated in the resignation of the Education Minister over a spate of issues in the country’s examination system, NEET question paper leaks being the foremost among them.

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New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) officials said that they had conducted a cleanliness and beautification drive at the venue and 60 metric tonnes of waste had been removed from the site.

The protest, which organically grew over the past few days, drew thousands of protesters, many of them students, and spilled out of Jantar Mantar on to Tolstoy Road, eventually all the way up to Sansad Marg on one side and Janpath Road on the other.

NMDC Vice-Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal said on Sunday (July 26) that from Saturday (July 25) night, over 500 officers and employees participated in the drive, undertaking cleaning, washing, repair, and restoration of roads, footpaths, central verges, green belts, walls, and other public spaces. The drive was conducted by the Health and Sanitation, Civil Engineering and Horticulture departments.

Seventy-five sanitation workers were deployed throughout the night, while 35 additional workers joined the operation in the morning. The drive was supported by eight auto-tippers, two heavy trucks, one earthmover and three high-pressure jetting machines.

Mr. Chahal said, “Immediately after the protest concluded, all NDMC teams swung into action. Intensive cleaning, washing, and restoration works were undertaken on a war footing at Jantar Mantar, Tolstoy Road, Sansad Marg, Jai Singh Road, Janpath, and the surrounding areas of Connaught Place.”