Delhi turned into ‘war zone’, alleges Congress as Connaught Place shops asked to shut amid student protests

The Congress on Thursday stepped up its attack on the Narendra Modi government over the security measures imposed in the national capital amid the ongoing student protests over the alleged examination paper leaks, with Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal accusing the Centre of converting Delhi into a “war zone” and questioning the closure of commercial establishments around the protest site.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Venugopal alleged that the government’s response to the student agitation was becoming increasingly restrictive and disproportionate.
“Yesterday, they cut-off internet. Today, they are shutting all shops around the protest. Is this how the national capital of the ‘mother of democracy’ reacts to a protest?” he said.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, Venugopal claimed that unprecedented security measures had been imposed to contain peaceful demonstrations by students.
“Mr. Modi is turning Delhi into a war zone. Numerous CRPF battalions are deployed, Delhi Police still threatening students, repeated tear gas shelling and violence, and the Police is given powers of preventive detention under NSA (as if the peaceful protesters are terrorists?!),” he said.

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His remarks came after the New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA) issued an advisory circular asking all shop owners, office establishments and restaurants in Connaught Place to shut their establishments by 6.30 p.m. on July 23. The advisory, signed by NDTA President Atul Bhargava, stated that the direction had been issued following advice from the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

The circular cited a “critical situation around CP” as the reason for the precautionary measure and urged strict compliance “to avoid any unpleasant situation and save yourself from any loss of property and injury.”

The closure advisory came amid heightened security arrangements in central Delhi, where student organisations and Opposition parties have been protesting against the alleged paper leaks in competitive examinations and demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Security personnel have been deployed in large numbers around key government buildings and protest locations, while restrictions have been imposed in several parts of the city to prevent large gatherings.

The Congress has accused the Centre of suppressing democratic dissent by resorting to internet restrictions, preventive detentions, police action and tight security measures instead of addressing the concerns of students. Party leaders have repeatedly alleged that peaceful protesters have been subjected to lathi-charge, tear gas shelling and intimidation, and have demanded accountability for the alleged examination irregularities.
The government, however, has defended the security arrangements as necessary to maintain law and order and public safety in view of the protests. It has also maintained that investigations into the alleged examination paper leaks are underway and that appropriate action is being taken against those responsible.

The controversy over the handling of the student protests has become one of the principal flashpoints of the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, with the Congress and its INDIA bloc allies continuing to press for a discussion on the issue and insisting on the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as a precondition for any meaningful debate. The latest restrictions in central Delhi and the advisory to commercial establishments have further fuelled the political confrontation between the government and the Opposition over the Centre’s handling of the crisis.