Azad Samaj Party national president Chandra Shekhar Azad started a sit-in protest within the Parliament premises on Monday night. He announced the move on social media, sharing pictures from the spot. The Nagina MP said he was taking a stand against the treatment meted out to young protesters at Jantar Mantar earlier that day.
In his post, Azad wrote that oppression, when it crosses its limits, gives rise to change. He said the manner in which students were treated at Jantar Mantar had shaken him deeply. He added that he had not witnessed the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, but the visuals from Monday reminded him of that chapter of history.
Azad said peaceful protest is a constitutional right of every citizen. He argued that meeting this right with force amounts to an attack on democratic values, not just on individuals. He said he was sitting in protest at the base of BR Ambedkar’s statue inside the Parliament complex.
The leader vowed to continue his peaceful struggle until justice is delivered and those responsible for the police action face consequences.
Azad’s presence at Jantar Mantar earlier in the day
Azad had joined the Cockroach Janta Party protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday morning, before the clashes broke out. He told reporters that tolerating injustice was a bigger crime than committing it. And, he said both the government and the police were following their own duties, and he saw himself as part of the same struggle for the country.
He said he understood the pain of the youth as an Indian himself and had come to stand with them. He said injustice was being done to students and that the government was allowing it to happen. Also, He also said he would raise the issue in Parliament.
Reports from the protest site said Delhi Police stopped Azad from moving forward with the march, leading to a heated exchange between him and police personnel.
Context of the student protest
The Cockroach Janta Party has been leading protests for close to a month, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the scrapping of the National Testing Agency. The trigger was a string of alleged paper leaks in major competitive exams, including NEET-UG.
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on a hunger strike in support of the protest for 21 days. Police shifted him to Safdarjung Hospital on July 18, reportedly against his wishes, two days before the planned march to Parliament.
On Monday, police used tear gas and baton charges to stop protesters from reaching Parliament.