Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad continues protest in Parliament in support of students

Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) president and Lok Sabha MP from Nagina constituency in Uttar Pradesh Chandra Shekhar Aazad on Tuesday (July 21, 2026) continued his protest on the Parliament premises in support of students over the alleged paper leak issue demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Azad who sat on an overnight protest near Dr B.R. Ambedkar statue within the Parliament complex, expressing solidarity with students protesting against alleged irregularities in the examination system, said “The brutality inflicted on children and girls at Jantar Mantar today deeply shook me. I didn’t witness the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, but the scenes that unfolded today certainly reminded me of that dark chapter in history. In a democracy, expressing one’s views peacefully is a constitutional right of every citizen. If that right is met with the use of force, it is an attack not only on a few individuals but also on democratic values. With this anguish and a resolve to defend democratic values, I started a sit-in protest yesterday under the statue of the respected Baba Saheb B.R. Ambedkar in the Parliament House complex.

“My peaceful democratic struggle will continue until justice is ensured and appropriate action is taken against those responsible for this incident. I demand from the government to initiate dialogue with the students and address their grievances at the earlier,” Mr. Azad said.

Mr. Azad’s sit-in protest, received support from other leaders with Hanuman Beniwal, Lok Sabha member from Nagaur in Rajasthan who heads Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) expressing solidarity. “Yesterday, after the lathi charge on young colleagues at the behest of the government in Delhi, Mr. Azad is sitting on a dharna in front of the statue of Constitution maker Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ji Ambedkar in the Parliament House premises, demanding justice. Today, I also met him. During this, Lok Sabha MP from Banswara, Rajasthan, Rajkumar Ji Roat were also present. The Union government will have to answer the country for every single blow used on the youth; dictatorship is not acceptable in democracy,” wrote Mr. Beniwal, on X.