Police personnel on Monday used lathi-charge and tear gas shells, with the CJP alleging brutality and accusing the security personnel of “attacking” a truck which was carrying founder Ahijeet Dipke, activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo, and actors Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj. Around 50,000 protesters had taken to the streets on Monday to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Event Context
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called for a march from Jantar Mantar, where the protestors have been camped for a month, to the Parliament, attracting a huge response, with thousands descending on the designated protest site on Monday.
Actor Sonam Bajwa has joined the growing list of celebrities who have spoken out on the issue and took to her Instagram account on Tuesday to share her statement. The note on her post read, “These are young voices of our Country, not threats. Why are they being met with lathis instead of listening? This isn’t about politics- it’s about choosing empathy over force. They deserve to be heard, not hurt.”
Team Analysis
In the caption, Sonam wrote, “Kal ke visuals dekh kar dil sach mein toot gaya (My heart broke after seeing the visuals from yesterday). This really isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about choosing humanity.”
The protest march, which began in a peaceful manner with protesters carrying flowers for police personnel, saw the main protest stage being dismantled by the cops by late afternoon and protesters being cleared from Jantar Mantar. As the crowd at the protest site swelled, students began climbing the iron barricades to cross over and continue their peaceful march. Security forces then reacted with lathi-charge, which continued throughout the day. Several protesters were injured during the march, with some seen severely bleeding from their heads.
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According to a police statement, despite repeated warnings and lawful directions, the protesters “refused to disperse and deliberately violated the prohibitory orders in force”. The cops also alleged that the protesters “attacked” police personnel with stones and other objects, attempted to breach police barricades, vandalised police and other government vehicles, damaged public property, and “resorted to large-scale violence, posing a serious threat to public order, the security arrangements in place, and the safety of police personnel performing their lawful duties.”
Protesters were detained from several areas, including Mandi House, Patel Chowk, Janpath, Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street on Monday as security forces tried to prevent demonstrators from assembling and marching towards Parliament.
Security forces also used tear gas near Shastri Bhawan after protesters attempted to push through barricades.
