Rhiya Ahir says police assumed they could suppress the protests simply because they had power
NEW DELHI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 25th, 2026) Rhea Iyer, the student who stood in front of a police van carrying detained protesters during demonstrations in Jantar Mantar in India, has said she acted instinctively because she believed the authorities were trying to silence students through the use of force.
The international media reported Rhiya Ahir said the police assumed they could suppress the protests simply because they had power. She said her actions were neither planned nor premeditated, adding that anyone in her position would likely have done the same.
Reports said Rhiya Ahir was alone when she first blocked the police van, but her act of defiance encouraged other protesters to gather at the scene, preventing the vehicle from leaving.
Meanwhile, student protests against the Indian government continued, with demonstrators rejecting what they described as anti-Pakistan narratives promoted by pro-government media. Protesters also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration through satirical poetry and slogans.
Media reports said negotiations between student representatives and the government remained deadlocked after the student group, identified as the CJP, refused to withdraw its demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The government has reportedly sought time until Saturday afternoon to respond.
Student leaders warned that if the education minister does not resign, the protests will spread nationwide. A spokesperson for the CJP said the government has agreed in principle to withdraw cases registered against students following the July 20 demonstrations.
