As thousands gathered in New Delhi for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests against examination paper leaks, central parts of the capital witnessed heavy security clampdowns. With metro stations shut down, widespread road barricades, and internet disruptions across the area, reaching Jantar Mantar turned into an exhausting struggle for demonstrators. Amid the chaos and forced long walks, an unexpected act of generosity provided a moment of hope. An auto driver voluntarily picked up stranded protesters and refused to accept any payment, calling his free ride a small contribution to the country’s youth.
“On 20th July 2026 .. With Delhi Metro stations closed, police barricades everywhere, no buses, no network, and no online cabs, thousands of people were left to walk nearly an hour to reach Jantar Mantar,” Aishwarya wrote on Instagram while sharing a video.
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She continued, “That’s when Mr Rakesh Kumar Yadav called us over and offered to drop us to the protest site. When we tried to pay him, he politely refused.”
The auto driver also explained the reason behind his refusal to take a fare. “Ye desh ke liye, yuvaon ke liye mera chhota sa yogdaan hai [This is my small contribution towards the country and the youth of the country].”
Aishwarya continued, “Acts of kindness like this restore faith in humanity. People like him remind us that change isn’t driven only by those who protest, but also by those who quietly stand beside them.” She concluded the post with a message for the auto driver. “Salute to your spirit, Rakesh ji. Your selfless gesture gave us the courage to keep going.”
{{/usCountry}}Aishwarya continued, “Acts of kindness like this restore faith in humanity. People like him remind us that change isn’t driven only by those who protest, but also by those who quietly stand beside them.” She concluded the post with a message for the auto driver. “Salute to your spirit, Rakesh ji. Your selfless gesture gave us the courage to keep going.”
{{/usCountry}}(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Aishwarya. This report will be updated when she responds.)
How did social media react?
An individual commented, “Uncle, your children and family will be proud of you, real-life hero.” Another expressed, “Real goal : Educated and civilised behaviour we want in our country.”
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A man who claimed to be one of the passengers who was in the auto shared, “Thats me (and us) in auto, all nearby metro to Jantar Mantar were closed and we had to walk about 5-6 km to reach Jantar Mantar, it was hot and we were tired by walking about 1-2km and all of a sudden we heard someone saying ‘kids come here, you are going to Jantar Mantar?’ , we happily ran towards auto, and in my mind I was thinking he will surely ask us boat load of money today, but suddenly he told us “No charge for today, a small contributing from my end”,then he added “I have helped 100-150 people since morning” hearing it I felt bad that he is spending so much of his hard earned money on strangers, so I tried to forcefully offer him 200 towards gas money but he declined it and now I feel like I have a loan of humanity on my shoulders. Thank you, Uncle Ji, you are a true hero. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.” A fourth wrote, “He is rich from the heart.”