Tiranga and Teargas: A Day of Dissent in Central Delhi

On 20 July 2026, thousands took to the streets of central Delhi to protest in defence of public education and to demand accountability from the Union government. What began as a mass mobilisation at Janpath ended in a violent police crackdown marked by lathi charges, tear gas, injuries, and detentions; this photo essay documents the protest as it unfolded.

Protesters pour in between 8:00 and 8:30 AM at Janpath, navigating closed metro lines and blocked roads with Tirangas in hand.

-almost as if it were Independence Day.

A child poses in the crowd holding an interesting artwork by @tylerstreetart

Protesters push through and climb over the first police barricade

Each barricade that breaks is met with loud cheers amidst chants "Inquilab Zindabad", "Jai Bhim”, and "Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do".

This image was taken approximately half an hour before police action began.

"Education is not for $ale"

A protester with a bleeding head walks out of the crowd after a lathi charge.

Concerned protestors check up on a student laying in an ambulance, apparently fractured after being hit by a police baton. Lathi charges and stun guns were used to violently drive away protestors and caused immediate panic within protestors. The police’s aggressive approach to the situation left countless protestors bloodied, fractured, and traumatized - apparently a cost you have to pay for asking questions in a democracy.

Towards the end, the entire road of Sansad Marg was cleared out by a van launching teargas all the way till the inner circle of Connaught Place. Use of excessive violence remained constant, as multiple first person accounts and videos that have been coming forward highlight.

A protestor's leg hit by one of the countless teargas canisters. He told us that washing this off is going to cause a burning sensation, and that tear gas canisters become extremely hot upon impact, causing severe burns. Once a canister discharges, victims experience an immediate burning sensation in their eyes, temporary blindness as their eyes snap shut, constricted airways, violent coughing, choking, and a feeling of suffocation.

As the protest is dispersed, demonstrators climb trees to spectate from afar.

In a final push, the Delhi Police fired tear gas across Sansad Marg, all the way to the Inner Circle of Connaught Place, forcing protesters to disperse. As the day came to an end, I found myself thinking about the thousands of young people who travelled from towns and villages across the country some without even enough money to comfortably make the journey to Delhi only to be met with batons, stun guns, and tear gas for exercising their democratic right to protest. It is a sight that is difficult to forget.

All Images by Atharva Salve

[Edited by Nikita Kalra]