“We wanted to protect ourselves from the lathi-charge,” a protester said.

The roads outside had turned into a heavily barricaded security zone, with rows of Delhi Police personnel and paramilitary forces waiting for the crowds to disperse. Inside Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, devotees continued offering prayers while volunteers distributed water and refreshments to the injured.

Near the small refreshment counter close to Gate No. 1, clusters of protesters gathered around the stairs, washing their faces, drinking water and checking on one another’s injuries. Several sat silently, staring at their phones as they tried to contact friends and family members.

N K Sharma, a government employee who also performs seva at the gurdwara, watched the scene unfold with dismay. “I suddenly saw a huge crowd entering the gurdwara. Many of them looked frightened. Some were injured,” he said.

Security forces used tear gas to dispel agitators gathered at Jantar Mantar on Monday. (Express photo)

Sharma said volunteers immediately stepped in to restore order. “We don’t allow any kind of violence inside. The police did not enter the gurdwara, and even the protesters were respectfully escorted out once they had calmed down,” he said.

Near the main shrine, a small circle of young protesters sat cross-legged on the white marble stairs. As volunteers moved through the complex, they asked the injured to head towards the langar hall for a meal before leaving.

At the corner of the group sat 21-year-old Devan Rathi, a B.Com student at Shivaji College, a broad white bandage wrapped around his forehead. His jeans were streaked with dust, and he held a white handkerchief covered with blood. “This is what happens to the students of this country when we raise our voice for something as basic as fair examinations,” Devan said.

CJP protesters clashes with Delhi Police (Express Photo: Praveen Khanna)

His mother, Santosh Rathi, sat beside him, unable to stop crying. “I brought my boys here because I wanted them to fight for their rights,” she said, her voice breaking. “But it looks like I only brought them here to get hurt. I failed as a parent.”

Before anyone in the group could respond, another woman sitting nearby reached over and said to Santosh: “You did nothing wrong. You should be proud that your children know how to stand up for what they believe in. Not every parent gives their children that courage.”

Devan recounted how quickly the day had spiralled into chaos. “We reached near the Parliament Street police station around 3 pm. We parked our vehicle and were walking when suddenly the police started the lathi-charge. Before we could understand what was happening, I was hit,” he said.

“I was injured all over. After that, a few Cockroach Janta Party volunteers found us, took us back towards the stage at Jantar Mantar and gave us first aid. From there, we came here,” he said.

Protesters at the CJP-led march to Parliament. (Express photo: Praveen Khanna)

His older brother, 22-year-old Gaurav Rathi, a graduate of Delhi Technological University, had injuries on his arms and shoulders. The brothers had travelled from Janakpuri with their mother to join the protest. “We didn’t come here looking for a fight,” Gaurav said. “We came because we believed students deserved to be heard.”

For nearly an hour, the shrine became an unexpected refuge for several such students and protesters fleeing batons and teargas. “We are waiting here for things to get better outside,” Santosh said before leaving. “There is teargas on the streets.”

Then, looking back at her sons, she said: “What kind of government is this? They are attacking their own country’s children.”

Outside the gurdwara, for nearly an hour, The Indian Express followed a police contingent as it moved from one flashpoint to another around central Delhi. In front of the West Bengal Information and Cultural Centre, a teargas shell landed with a dull thud before erupting into a cloud of white smoke that drifted slowly across the road. Protesters who had been regrouping moments earlier covered their faces with scarves and sprinted towards the narrower lanes leading away from the site.

Delhi Police personnel disperse the protesters as they attempt to march towards the House, at Parliament Street, on Monday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

A few hundred metres away, opposite St Columba’s School, the confrontation intensified. Stones flew through the air from behind hastily assembled groups of protesters. The police responded almost immediately, firing more teargas shells while advancing with lathis raised. “Move back! Move back!” officers shouted as they chased protesters down Bhai Veer Singh Marg while ordering vehicles to turn back.

By the time the forces reached Kalibari Marg, another round of teargas had turned the junction hazy. Smoke drifted over traffic lights and into the tree-lined avenues leading towards Gole Market. Residents watched cautiously from the sides of the street and shopkeepers hurriedly pulled down their shutters.