Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 23: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has given a call for nation-wide protest on Friday against the alleged police brutality on the student protesters during the “Chalo Sansad” march to Parliament House on Monday after rejecting the government’s offer for talks over NEET paper leak and other demands.
The outfit has urged supporters, student unions and civil society groups to organise peaceful protests in every district even as the Centre stepped up efforts to break the deadlock through dialogue. The call followed violent clashes with the police during the protesters’ march to Parliament and police action against student protesters in many states which, the CJP said, have further strengthened its resolve to expand the agitation beyond the national capital.
While protesters have accused security personnel of using excessive force, Delhi Police has maintained that demonstrators turned violent, attacked police personnel and damaged public property during the march.
Launching the campaign under the slogan “Every District. One Day. One Demand,” the CJP asked local organisers to coordinate with student unions and civil society groups, obtain the necessary permissions and ensure that all demonstrations remain peaceful.
As part of the nationwide mobilisation, the organisation has circulated a standard operating procedure (SOP), campaign material and a memorandum template for local organisers.
The CJP said the nationwide protest has been called to stand in solidarity with “victims of police brutality across India”. It said students’ organisations and groups must collaborate and work together for “permissions and logistics”. “In front of the full gatherings, read out the students’ demands aloud. Show solidarity to those who faced police brutality. Inquilab Zindabad, Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” the CJP said in a statement.
It, however, urged the agitators to raise only positive slogans such as “Jai Hind, Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad, Jai Bhim,” and record everything. Besides, the agitators must remain peaceful non-violent no matter what happened, the CJP advised.
The agitators have also directed to stay within the sanctioned area and move on approved routes, and not to use “provocative, defamatory, communal or hateful language.” The CJP also said the agitators must stay in a group of two to three people, and no one would be allowed to carry a weapon such as sticks or poles.
No one should block the traffic during the July 24 protest, the CJP’s advisory noted, while advising against spreading fake news and unverified claims. “Write numbers on your body — your lawyer (or a law student), one emergency contact, in marker on your forearm and on a card in your pocket. Phones lose battery or break, and memory fails under stress,” the guidelines said.
“Don’t stay silent on mischief — report it on social media and ask people around you for help. Don’t respond to provocation — disengage and alert a marshal,” it added.
The nationwide campaign marks the CJP’s biggest attempt yet to take the agitation beyond Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and accountability for the alleged examination irregularities. The movement took a dramatic turn after Monday’s confrontation between protesters and police.
In the days that followed, the crowds swelled significantly, with many first-time participants joining the sit-in. CJP organisers said they could no longer estimate the turnout, while several demonstrators claimed that videos of the police action had prompted them to travel to Delhi and join the protest.
Videos of the clashes soon flooded social media, becoming a rallying point for both protesters and the authorities. While some clips appeared to show police using lathicharge, tear gas and physical force against demonstrators, others showed groups of protesters pelting stones, throwing bottles and confronting security personnel. Both the CJP and Delhi Police have cited these videos to support their respective versions of events.
Fresh violence erupted on Wednesday evening when clashes broke out again near Jantar Mantar. According to Delhi Police, a group of “miscreants” pelted stones and bottles at security personnel near Tolstoy Marg, injuring five cops. Police responded by deploying the Rapid Action Force (RAF), using limited force and firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Protest organisers, however, alleged that the police once again used excessive force against demonstrators.
Protest marches was also held on Thursday in several districts of Bihar with police resorting to baton charge after protesters allegedly pelted stones in Katihar and Begusarai. Initially, a peaceful protest was underway; however, it turned violent when some protesters tried to break the main gate of the District Magistrate (DM) office. The police tried to stop them, a scuffle ensued, and the situation became tense.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said his party would organise a ‘Tiranga morcha’ on Friday in solidarity with the students demanding resignation of Mr Pradhan.
