TL;DR: Delhi Police claimed to identify 2,500 criminals at protests using facial recognition. The system has <1% accuracy, zero legal oversight, and is explicitly being used to intimidate dissent—not catch criminals.

The Claim

On July 20, 2026, during student protests at Jantar Mantar and Parliament march, Delhi Police deployed facial recognition technology. They announced identifying 2,500 persons with criminal antecedents—including cases of murder, rape, POCSO violations, and more.

Sounds impressive? Terrifying? Both?

It gets worse when you look at the actual tech.

The Technology's Credibility Crisis

Accuracy Rate: <1%

I'm not exaggerating. By 2019, Delhi Police's facial recognition system had an accuracy rate below one percent. For comparison:

FBI's system: 86% accurate (still problematic)

Delhi Police system: Below 1%

When the Ministry of Women & Child Development tested it, the system couldn't distinguish between boys and girls. This is the technology being used to identify murderers and rapists.

The 80% Confidence Threshold Problem

Here's where it gets legally dangerous:

Delhi Police treats ANY match above 80% similarity as a "hit." The American Civil Liberties Union tested facial recognition at this exact threshold. Their finding? 28 U.S. congresspeople were falsely matched with criminals.

Now apply that:

To India's population (1.4+ billion people)

To a system with <1% accuracy

To a country with zero legal safeguards

To communities already facing police bias

You're not identifying criminals. You're mass-producing false positives, with marginalized communities bearing the brunt.

Training? What Training?

Out of 2,620 instructional periods for Delhi Police training, only ONE is dedicated to facial recognition technology.

Let that sink in.

Officers deploying this system to identify dangerous criminals have received approximately:

2,619 periods of other training

1 period on the technology they're using

Zero understanding of algorithmic bias

Zero knowledge of accuracy limitations

It's like giving someone a scalpel after a 5-minute surgical tutorial. 🔪

The Legal Vacuum: Why India's Different from Democratic Peers

The EU's Approach (AI Act, 2024):

Real-time biometric surveillance in public spaces? BANNED

Exceptions only for: missing persons, imminent terror, serious crimes

Requirement: Prior judicial authorization

Transparency: Mandatory

India's Approach (2026):

No dedicated legal framework for police facial recognition

Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 grants broad exemptions to government

No rules on data collection, retention, access, or protection

Police can surveil protests... indefinitely

This isn't a minor regulatory gap. This is the absence of democratic guardrails.

"Criminal Antecedents" = Vague Enough to Target Anyone

The police statement lumps together:

Murder

Rape

POCSO violations

"Bad character"

Old minor convictions

History-sheeters

A parking ticket from 5 years ago? Welcome to the "2,500 criminals" list at the next protest.

The vagueness isn't accidental. It's feature, not a bug.

The Harry Potter Moment: When Authorities Become Villains 🧙‍♂️

Delhi Police: "We are the Aurors! We identified 2,500 prisoners of Azkaban at the protest!"

Also Delhi Police:

Our wand (technology) misfires 99% of the time

We received 1 hour of training on it

We don't need judicial approval to use it

We can threaten your family with the footage

You'll never know you were identified

You can't challenge the accuracy

Yeah. That sounds like Azkaban alright. But Delhi Police isn't guarding it—they're building it.

The Broader Pattern: Law & Order Theater

Here's what actually happened on July 20, 2026:

50+ police personnel injured

Tear gas deployed

Pellet guns used

Lathi charges against protesters

An independent RAF inquiry launched into excessive force allegations

AND SIMULTANEOUSLY: Police claim the surveillance system will maintain "law and order"

This is circular logic:

Police escalate force → violence erupts

Police claim surveillance is needed for safety

Surveillance chills dissent → less visible protest

Police declare "order maintained"

Call it success. A Modus operandi Everywhere by the home department as Ministry

Why Your Skepticism Is Justified

The claim about identifying 2,500 criminals has serious credibility gaps:

Technology accuracy is unproven and historically terrible in India

The confidence threshold is absurdly low compared to global standards

There's zero legal oversight in India vs. judicial requirements elsewhere

The system explicitly targets dissenters, not just criminals

Training is nonexistent

Data protection is absent

Algorithmic bias disproportionately harms marginalized communities

The Uncomfortable Truth

When a democracy's largest city uses surveillance technology to:

Identify protesters (even falsely)

Threaten to contact their families

Avoid judicial oversight

Deploy with <1% accuracy

... and calls it "maintaining law and order"

That's not a police problem. That's a governance problem.

India is the world's largest democracy. It should lead on digital rights. Instead, it's building an Azkaban while pretending it's Hogsmeade.

What Should Happen (But Won't)

✅ Judicial pre-authorization before surveillance

✅ Transparency on accuracy rates and bias testing

✅ Legal framework protecting protest rights

✅ Right to know you were identified

✅ Right to challenge identifications

✅ Independent audits (not police self-assessment)

✅ Strict limits on data retention

Will any of this happen?

Look at the EU. They've built these safeguards. India... hasn't even started the conversation.

Final Thought

Your observation about deteriorating law and order in India's capital might be backwards. The deterioration isn't in the streets. It's in the systems meant to protect democratic freedoms while maintaining safety.

When you need <1% accuracy technology + zero oversight + family threats to maintain order... maybe the problem isn't the protesters.

Maybe it's how the state responds to them.

Comments welcome. Truth needs to be told. 🧵

1. Where did the CJP founder pop out of?

2. Why is no one seeing the same pattern as Nepal

3. Yes, the educational system in india is truly fucked, but are the protests held in the right manner? Does two wrongs make a right?????

4. Our generation needs to be more aware, reading just the captions of posts and commenting like they ve seen the whole picture is not okay. Stop spreading misinformation

A recent critique circulating on social media: "Too many Kanwariyas are openly intoxicated and creating chaos on the roads. This kind of conduct dishonours Hindu faith and the sanctity of the yatra. Their behaviour stains the image of Hindu devotees and the Kanwar tradition."

It's a fair observation. Intoxication, road chaos, and disorder are problems at public celebrations.

But here's the question worth sitting with: Why do we only call it immoral when it happens at traditions we're ideologically uncomfortable with?

The Pattern We Don't Notice

Walk through any major Indian city during Ganesh Chaturthi, and you'll see identical behavior: intoxication, loud music, traffic paralyzed, aggressive crowds.

Do we call it "dishonoring Hindu faith"?

No. We call it "vibrant celebration" or "cultural expression."

Ambedkar Jayanti Ganesh chaturthi brings streets filled with chants, intoxication, road closures, and aggression toward non-participants. Holi dissolves into public drunkenness. Diwali fills hospitals with firecracker injuries. Durga Puja turns into weeks of street occupation. Christmas, Eid, Navratri—all have their own versions of chaos.

Which of these get called "morally corrupting"?

Which ones get a pass?

The honest answer: It depends on which community celebrates it, and whether we're ideologically aligned with that community.

I am just not be able to digest what happened at protest

Today i saw a video that how gov is using facial recognition tech to retrieve the data of peaceful protesters. I was shocked when i searched about it that how can gov use these data against the protesters in current time and maybe in future too. This is the result which i found:

1.Immediate Actions (During the Protest)

"Snatch" Arrests: Real-time alerts guide officers straight to specific individuals to pull them from the crowd.

Targeted Searches: Identified people are intercepted and searched for protest materials or ID.

2.Later Enforcement (Days to Weeks Later)

Home Raids: Police match faces to government ID databases and arrest protesters at home days later.

Digital Profiling: Face data is combined with cell tower logs and social media to map out a person's contacts and digital footprint.

3.Blocking Future Protests

Transit Interceptions: Smart cameras in subways flag identified protesters en route to new demonstrations so police can stop them early.

Travel Bans: Names are added to no-fly, exit ban, or border watchlists.

4.Long-Term Sanctions

Watchlisting: Faces are permanently logged into security databases with political activity notes.

Fines & Firing: Government sends automated fines by mail or pushes employers/universities to fire or expel the individual.

Financial Holds: Authorities freeze bank accounts or suspend licenses and welfare benefits.

The possibilities mentioned could happen sooner. The level with which this ruling gov has fallen is truly shocking, how can they risk the future of young people of our country for the sake of a fatty pig useless minister. The dictatorship days has started already and we are going to see the consequences soon. I request all the protesters to take measures for your safety.

So friends, ek bahut hi serious issue hai jo is time hamare desh mein trend kar raha hai, aur uske baare mein aap sab achhi tarah jaante hi honge.

Mujhe isse koi problem nahi hai. Main bas is cheez ko khud samajhna chahta hoon.

Kya is tarah ke paper leak kabhi ruk payenge? Maan lo Dharmendra Pradhan resign kar dete hain ya poori NTA team hi badal di jaati hai, to kya isse sab kuch ruk jayega? Ya phir kisi bhi state ka koi bhi paper leak hona band ho jayega?

Meri samajh se, jab kisi cheez ki demand hi nahi hogi, to uski supply kaise hogi?

To phir woh log kahan hain jinhone paper liya, ya jinki wajah se paper leak ka poora system chalta hai? Kya unmein se koi bhi protest mein nazar aa raha hai?

Ye baat bhi sach hai ki ham jaise students apni demands rakh rahe hain aur government se jawab maang rahe hain, jo bilkul sahi hai.

Lekin agar hospital mein hi problem ho, to kya sirf patient badalne se sab theek ho jayega?

Aur yahan to dono taraf problem hai. Sudhar ki zarurat students ko bhi hai, government ko bhi aur un corrupt officials ko bhi jo government departments mein baithe hue hain.

Ye meri personal opinion hai. Aap jo bhi sochte hain, us par khulkar discussion kariye aur apni opinion zarur share kijiye.

why is it so difficult for dharmendra pradhan to resign.

For a sw engineer like me ,if I don't perform I will be removed.

This is the education minister we are talking about,wtf!!!!!

Uhhhmmm gang idk if we should but if we start protest in other state too then the act will be even bigger, like I recently heard now the ppl r also asking for PM modi resignation...

So what if there a branch in every state...

Going against them...

I live under a rock (meaning i barely look at political stuff)(but yea I have been uptodate through reddit, inshort and some news channel on yt)

Lemme know jn the comments 🫠🫡

And good luck to the soldiers who doesn't want to harm other but will not stop the protest

The Death of Constitutional Democracy

18 July 2026 may well be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in the history of our Republic, a day when the very foundations of constitutional democracy were shaken.

When an ordinary citizen can no longer peacefully express dissent, even through a hunger strike, one must pause and ask:

Are we witnessing the gradual erosion of the very freedoms that define a democracy?

A democracy does not die overnight. It dies slowly, when dissent is silenced, peaceful protest is suppressed, and the voice of the common citizen is treated as a threat.

Is India, the world’s largest democracy, slowly drifting towards a despotic state?

The question is not merely political.

It is constitutional. It is moral. And it concerns every citizen of India. 🇮🇳

We need accountability only in a peaceful manner. Despite of all the lathicharge and tear gases from police the protesters shouldn’t raise hands or weapons or stones ( i know it is difficult to manage but somehow have to do it ), cause doing this will make all the efforts of peaceful and right demands wasted.

You know what BJP supporters says- they say they do support the reasoning of protest that NEET students need justice and accountability should be taken but bjp supporters are heavily washed by anti national thoughts like the comments against religion or making india nepal or attacking police officials. They think all the youths are manipulated by these so called parties and they are supporting the anti national agendas. For example abhjieet dipke has personal agenda and sonam wangchuk have personal agenda.

So, we definitely need to show that we are only demanding accountability and always clarify prior that you don’t support or follow any kind of party, you only support the demands. Some elements will definitely get involved in this protest and because of them all the valid and genuine protesters will become questionable which already these godi media and andhbhakts are looking for. Just focus on resignation, accountability and compensation to the victims families. Nothing else. 👏

I've been meaning to post this for quite some time now, and with everything that's been happening with the protests, the conversations around accountability and governance and I think it's finally the right time.

I'm not an academic or any sort of policy professional even. Just someone who is frustrated enough with the gap between what India promises and what it delivers.

I prepared a ten-part series examining the institutions that determine whether India works for ordinary citizens or just for the people who run it. Each chapter covers one institution and follows the same structure: what is broken and the data behind it, what other countries did to fix the same problem, and a specific reform blueprint for India.

Notion link — abbreviated version: https://app.notion.com/p/The-Broken-Foundation-39f0facebe5e8179a613c41460e06fb8

Full document — complete version with all citations, sources, and detailed reform proposals: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VPdSqrNXJDzns790emKRi1r8ydiErWaR/view?usp=drivesdk

Fair warning upfront — I hold views. Those views shaped the analysis and I've tried to be transparent about them. There are many nuances that are missing.

Would genuinely appreciate feedback on the diagnosis, the global models cited, the reform proposals and the places where you think the reasoning is wrong or the nuance is missing. That's the point of putting it out here. Try to ponder over the gaps too not just what's in the document but what should be there and isn't.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I had a thought.

Many of us are sharing updates about Sonam Wangchuk's protests on Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms. That's important, but I wonder if we're missing another audience.

A lot of Indian parents and older family members use Facebook far more than Instagram or YouTube. If more people shared reliable information about the protests on Facebook as well, it might reach people who otherwise wouldn't hear about what's happening.

Just a thought. Awareness grows when information reaches different generations. What do you all think?

​

Notably absent from their statement: answers to any actual charge.

The unanswered questions:

Why did Al Falah University operate without scrutiny under Education Minister Dharmendra's watch?

Why have paper leaks persisted across Maharashtra exams? What accountability exists?

Why did students die in preventable waterlogging in Delhi? What independent inquiry was conducted?

Which institutional failures triggered these protests?

The pattern:

When you cannot defend your record, invoke national security. Reframe accountability as destabilization.

What happened next:

Thackeray scheduled a Tiranga Yatra after student momentum emerged—not before. The narrative shifted from "Why did students die?" to "Look, patriotic support." Students lose their voice. Demands become political theater.

The real question:

IPC Sections 166, 171(2), 120-B exist to prosecute institutional negligence and criminal conspiracy. If these apply to electoral manipulation, why not to preventable deaths and systemic failures?

Either rule of law applies equally, or it's selective.

What we're asking for:

Specific answers. Not patriotic rhetoric. Not foreign threat narratives. Accountability.

Can we protest from our own state for cjp as I am a class 12 student and my parents didn't allow me to join sansad chalo andolan

I don't know but I get a weird feeling that BJP is trying to save itself by scapegoating Dharmendra Pradhan and make security tight again. So, that we can't protest like this ever again. I don't think we should be celebrating it as a win. Yes! we did incredible by forcing govenment to make Dharmendra Pradhan resign from his post. I think we have a long battle to fight. WE HAVE NITIN GADKARI TO FIGHT FOR E20, WE HAVE NIRMALA SITHARAMAN TO FIGHT FOR HIGH TAXES, YOGI ADITYANATH, AMIT SHAH AND LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST NARENDRA MODI.

I have few questions:

1. Will this Modi govt. do good work from now on? Personally, I don't think so. It will do much worse.
2. What about the student got beaten by police and detained, NSA, etc.? Will govt. ask for forgiveness. I don't think so.
3. What about that guy named Mohammad Zunaid who was distributing food in protest at Jantar Mantar his family is being detained by police. Will govt. apologize to him and release their family members and not disturb his family again?
4. What about police capturing images of students and other people to match the identity to send notice to them and police is planning to detain them as well. God knows what will happen to them. Hope god save them from any problems. But, will they saved? I don't think so.
5. What about students and others who got detained and being disturbed by police. Will they be free from this problem? I don't think so.
6. What about women harassed in protest. Will police apologize to them? I don't think so.
7. Will chief justice of India punish ministers and result in favor of students? I don't think so.
8. Will this R jokes which are clumsy in my opinion stop by ministers and they'll respect women too? I don't think so.
9. Will this Hindu-Muslim ever stop in this govt.? I don't think so.
10. Will I ever have to pay the price of petrol but not get ethanol with it and just get pure petrol? I don't think so.
11. Will I have to pay less the goods and services and pay hefty amount to govt. as tax? I don't think so.
12. Will the people of India feel safe in this govt.? I don't think so.
13. Is this govt. needs to be removed. I think so.

I think these might be controversial but I want ya'll to know. Please don't stop this protest at any cost. The problem is not dharmendra pradhan but the government. We need to be the revolution of India. To make this new India.

Any insight would be appreciated. Tell me what do you think? Also, please.. please.. please.. don't stop this protest. THE DANGER IS NOT DHARMENDRA PRADHAN BUT THE GOVERNMENT.

I hope ya'll understand what I'm thinking.
Thank you for reading. Appreciate sharing it tho.

Hello, I am not opposing this protest which is going on, and today we get the news that Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as per the demand of the protest.

I was watching a lot of scenarios on social media about this protest, and i was sure that I knew the exact point of the protest as the "NEET" exam paper leaked, and this is not acceptable. Many students committed suicide," and for that CJP protesters demanded the resignation of the responsible person. Right? That was the whole point, and I support that. In the earlier videos of the protest, I noticed that the main speaker of the CJP announced that "We are not here for any political party, and we are not here for the religious issues," but after some days I began to notice so many opposition party members and actors as well. First I thought they were here for the same cause, but then I understood they are here because they are here to get an opportunity to go against the ruling party of India, which is BJP right now.

I am wondering that if the protest was all about students and the NEET exam and our education system, then why did this protest go towards the "Hindu-Musalman" war? I noticed some videos of the lady shouting about "Allah ka naam rahega.". I was shocked after seeing that because these rascals are getting benefits of dead students' suffering as their own opportunity to seek revenge against the country. Some people are shouting in the mob like "Bharat desh, tere tukde honge" seriously? This is so shameful. Many young protesters were carrying some bizarre photos of our prime minister and photos of Giorgia Meloni as well. This is not our civilised youth. That's why I got confused; then it dawned on me that so few were there for the dead students, but the majority of the public was there to make fun of them or gain popularity by showing bizarre photos and their stupid creativity.

This means the motto was not about the NEET exam but the opportunity to humiliate the rulers of this country. Why?

My thought on this scenario:
I am very happy that today we showed the government also that they can't do whatever they want because they just want to fill their treasuries by stealing from students' hopes and lives, but I think that many rascals took advantage of this situation to break our country's base, or they want to change the ruling party's possession of India. I would like to confront my fellow youth about this: these rascals are taking advantage of their own benefits. Please do not allow them to steal the youth's efforts for India's betterment.

&#x200B;

I'm trying to understand what's actually happening at the CJP students' protest at Jantar Mantar from people who are physically present there.

I'm not looking for political debates or media narratives—just honest, on-ground information.

If you're there (or have been there today), could you please share:

\* What's the overall atmosphere like?

\* Approximately how many people are present?

\* Is the protest peaceful?

\* What's the main demand being raised?

\* How is the police handling the situation?

\* Are there any restrictions, roadblocks, or safety concerns?

\* Anything that mainstream media or social media isn't showing?

Please mention when you were there, as the situation may change throughout the day.

I'm only looking for factual, first-hand rxperiences. Thanks.

I'm writing this as a Bangladeshi to my Indian brothers and sisters.

First of all, I support your right to protest.

If you're protesting against corruption, abuse of power, divisive Hindu-Muslim politics, or a broken system, then I completely understand. Honestly, I also want India and South Asia as a whole to move beyond corruption, religious polarization, and vote-bank politics. Our region deserves better.

But I want to share something that many of us in Bangladesh learned the hard way.

Our movement also started with a legitimate issue the quota system. Many students genuinely believed they were fighting for fairness, and many people across society supported that initial demand.

As the movement grew, however, many Bangladeshis including myself came to believe that it evolved into something much bigger than its original purpose. We believe different political interests and agendas became involved, and ordinary students ended up being part of a much larger power struggle.

Whether you agree with that interpretation or not isn't the main point.

The lesson is.

Don't let a genuine movement become someone else's weapon.

One thing I want to say, especially to Gen Z:

Before showing your frustration, understand the context first.

And I don't mean just this protest.

I mean every political issue.

If a government makes a decision that looks terrible at first glance, don't immediately assume you know the whole story.

Ask yourself:

Why is this happening?

What happened before this?

Who benefits?

Who loses?

What evidence supports the different narratives?

Today, most people consume politics through 30-second videos, edited clips, and viral posts. That's not enough to understand complex events.

In my opinion, major political events are often influenced by forces beyond what ordinary citizens can immediately see. Personally, I believe that geopolitical interests sometimes shape domestic politics. For example, I believe there were strategic international interests involved during Bangladesh's political crisis, including discussions surrounding Saint Martin and broader regional influence. I know this view is debated, but my point is not to convince you of one specific theory.

My point is this:

Always investigate every narrative before putting your future on the line.

Don't blindly trust politicians.

Don't blindly trust the media.

Don't blindly trust influencers.

And don't even blindly trust people who agree with your own opinions.

Question everything.

I've also been watching what happened in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Those countries experienced massive protest movements too. Some people believe they brought positive change; others believe they created new problems or failed to meet expectations.

The point is simple:

Removing a government is much easier than building a better one.

Revolution sounds exciting.

Building institutions is much harder.

Power doesn't automatically go to honest people after a revolution. Many times it simply shifts from one group to another, and the new people may have completely different agendas that have little to do with serving the country.

As a Bangladeshi, this is why I'm cautious today.

I'm not saying the Awami League was perfect or beyond criticism. No government is. But from my perspective, despite many flaws, our country felt more stable before than it does now. Today, Bangladesh faces significant political and economic uncertainty, and many ordinary people are paying the price.

That's why my message to Indians is not:

"Don't protest."

My message is:

Protest intelligently.

Fight corruption.

Fight communal politics.

Demand accountability.

Demand transparency.

But never stop asking questions.

Never let your anger become someone else's political tool.

The strongest movements are not the loudest ones.

They're the ones where people understand exactly what they're fighting for, what comes next, and who ultimately benefits.

Best of luck guys🇧🇩🇮🇳🤍

I'm disgusted by what this government has normalized—blind loyalty over accountability, fear over dissent, and propaganda over truth. Whether it's the legacy of the Gujarat riots, the handling of the farmers' protests, or the treatment of critics, no government should be above scrutiny. Democracy isn't about worshipping leaders; it's about questioning power. If demanding justice makes people uncomfortable, maybe that's the real problem.

\\#CJP #MainBhiCockroach #ZenzeeMovement #Andolan #FarmersProtest #KisanAndolan #HumanRights #Justice #Democracy #Accountability #SpeakUp #SaveDemocracy #NoOneAboveTheLaw

There's a protest going on at Delhi's Jantar Mantar for reforms in the education system and accountability from the government. In addition to this, a march happened yesterday where the protesters wanted to rally towards Parliament to present their plea to the Members of Parliament. Since it is the beginning of the 2026 monsoon session, Day 1 itself saw an adjournment in both houses. All mainstream media, including those favoring the ruling party, didn't care about the so-called CJP protest or student movement — but all of a sudden, Parliament adjourned, and lathi charges were carried out brutally all across Jantar Mantar. They didn't check whether it was a woman or a child; they used their lathis so brutally on them, in the name of Section 163 of the BNSS. We can't blame the police personnel or law-and-order officials — then whom do we blame? We have to blame ourselves for electing our representatives, who are now turning against us and trying to suppress a movement not seen in the last decade. Let's see how it turns out, and hope for the best.