The party has sought access for volunteers, families, lawyers, journalists and medical personnel as the demonstrations over examination irregularities continue.
(Photo: IANS)
The Cockroach Janta Party has demanded the immediate removal of restrictions it alleges are preventing people and essential supplies from reaching protesters at Jantar Mantar.
In a statement shared by chief spokesperson Saurav Das, the CJP accused Delhi Police of detaining and intimidating citizens travelling to the demonstration. It claimed the measures had created an atmosphere of “fear and siege” around the protest site.
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The party called upon Delhi Police to stop what it described as the unlawful detention of people attempting to join the demonstrations.
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“The Cockroach Janta Party demands that the @DelhiPolice immediately cease and desist from unlawfully detaining, intimidating or preventing citizens from reaching Jantar Mantar and refrain from creating an atmosphere of fear and siege around Jantar Mantar,” Das wrote on X.
The CJP claimed volunteers carrying food, drinking water, medicines and other essential supplies were being prevented from reaching the protest site.
It said students, parents, teachers and other citizens had been protesting peacefully for more than a month over examination paper leaks, recruitment failures and deaths by suicide among students.
“Instead of facilitating a peaceful democratic protest, the Delhi Police appears to have chosen the path of intimidation,” the party said.
“This is nothing short of laying siege to Jantar Mantar,” it added.
The party urged the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, to direct officers to stop the alleged detentions and intimidation.
It also demanded access for volunteers, family members, lawyers, journalists and medical personnel.
The CJP said Jantar Mantar was a designated space for democratic dissent and argued that protesters were exercising their constitutional right to assemble and express their views peacefully.
The party asked Delhi Police to uphold what it called the letter and spirit of the Constitution.
“Governments may disagree with protests. But no authority has the constitutional right to starve, isolate or lay siege to peaceful citizens,” the statement said.
“The Constitution belongs to the people. Jantar Mantar belongs to the people. The police exist to protect both — not to lay siege to either,” it added.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka separately alleged that the police were obstructing people attempting to carry food and other assistance to the protesters.
“Dear Delhi Police, do whatever you want. You cannot stop people from coming to Jantar Mantar. You cannot stop people from having food. You cannot stop people from helping us. Most importantly, you cannot stop Pradhan’s resignation. He is going,” Ranka wrote on X.
His allegations have also not been independently established.
The CJP has said it will continue the agitation until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.
Its representatives held a nearly two-hour meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday. The party claimed the government sought time until Saturday afternoon to consider the resignation demand.
The talks followed activist Sonam Wangchuk’s decision to end his 26-day hunger strike after receiving a written assurance concerning the NEET examination issue and reforms to the competitive testing system.
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