Forces use lathicharge, tear gas as CJP protesters march to Parliament

Forces resorted to a baton-charge near Parliament Street after thousands of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters allegedly tried to breach barricades while marching towards Parliament on Monday.

At around 11.25 am, protesters attempted to push through multiple barricades erected in the high-security zone, sources said.

A scuffle-like situation ensued, in which some protesters and police personnel sustained minor injuries, they said.

Around 10-15 protesters were said to have been detained, sources said. 

Security forces also used tear gas shells near Shastri Bhawan here as several protesters attempted to push through security barricades in a bid to reach Jantar Mantar to join the Cockroach Janta Party's march to Parliament, sources said.

 

The action came amid heightened tensions in the high-security zone. 

Several commuters were stranded inside nearby metro stations after access was restricted and station gates were closed as a precautionary measure. 

A heavy deployment of uniformed police personnel, along with officers in plain clothes, was in place across the area to maintain law and order and prevent protesters from moving towards Parliament, according to sources.

New Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma, however, stated that not even a single Delhi Police personnel has used force on protesters so far.  On Monday morning, thousands of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar despite heavy rain and unprecedented security arrangements across central Delhi, as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) pressed ahead with its proposed "Sansad Chalo" march demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities.

Delhi Police sealed several roads leading to Parliament, barricaded the Jantar Mantar protest site from all sides and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, while Janpath, Patel Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth metro stations remained closed as part of security measures.

Police had earlier said no permission had been granted for the proposed march and warned that unauthorised processions towards Parliament would not be allowed.

Despite the restrictions, protesters continued to pour into Jantar Mantar through the morning. The CJP shared photographs and videos on social media showing large crowds at the protest site and posted, "Heavy rains and massive security, but nothing will stop the cockroaches today."  In another post, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared a photograph of the Constitution with the message, "Long live the Constitution."  The CJP appealed to supporters to remain peaceful despite restrictions on movement, saying several metro stations had been closed and many protesters were being stopped from reaching Jantar Mantar.

"Please remain calm wherever you might be. Even if you've been stopped at certain points, remain calm and maintain peace. We will only win this with peace and love," CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said in a message to protesters.

The mobilisation comes even as activist Sonam Wangchuk, who remains admitted to Safdarjung Hospital after being shifted there by Delhi Police on Friday, reiterated that his indefinite hunger strike would continue beyond Monday's march unless the government accepted accountability for failures in the education system or political leaders assured him that the issue would be taken up during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

In a handwritten note issued from the hospital, Wangchuk said his fast would end only if the government took responsibility for alleged paper leaks and other failures in the education system or if MPs and leaders of various political parties assured him that they would raise the issue in Parliament.

He also reiterated his allegation that he was under "illegal detention" at Safdarjung Hospital.

Meanwhile, three AISA activists -- Neha, Manish and Aameen -- ended their 23-day hunger strike earlier in the day following an appeal from a delegation comprising parliamentarians, civil society members and eminent personalities, who urged them to shift the struggle from a hunger strike to Parliament and public campaigns while assuring them that their demands would be pursued during the Monsoon Session.

The CJP has been demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The "Sansad Chalo" march coincides with the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.