New clashes broke out between police and protesters in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place in central Delhi on Wednesday night, July 22, as tension boiled over as Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests erupted over alleged examination irregularities and the demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
According to Delhi police, the violence started at 8 p.m. in the Connaught Place area around Tolstoy Marg. Some in the crowd attacked security personnel with stones and bottles and injured several police officers, police said.
ACP Connaught Place Vivek Bhagat was among those injured in the clash and taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for treatment. At least five people, including two Assistant Commissioners of Police, two inspectors and one police official, were injured at the time of the incident, police officials said. The exact number of injured personnel was still to be determined.
The violence started after a large group of protesters in the vicinity of Jantar Mantar moved towards the Tolstoy Marg area. Security forces were deployed in and around the protest site as part of arrangements to keep law and order.
As the situation worsened, police and Rapid Action Force personnel used limited force and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. The situation was tense for a few minutes before security forces took control of the area, officials said. Heavy security was brought in around Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place to prevent any further escalation.
The clashes erupted amid a continuing protest movement led by the CJP demanding an investigation into alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. An increasing number of people gathered in Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas.
The internet connectivity issue was also a major point of contention. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke claimed on social media that internet services had been suspended around Jantar Mantar and wondered if it could be linked to another police crackdown. But the suspension was not confirmed at the time by the authorities at all.
Opposition leaders also criticized the reported internet disruption and the police response to the protests. Congress leader KC Venugopal described the alleged internet shutdown as an attack on freedom of speech and accused the government of attempting to silence the voices of protesting youth.
But police defended their actions as trying to control violence and maintain order. Officials said the clash erupted because of stone-pelting and attacks on security personnel and tear gas was used to disperse the crowd and bring calm back.
The latest violence has further heightened tensions in central Delhi, where security has been beefed up around the protest site. Delhi Metro has also temporarily closed some stations in the vicinity because of security issues, causing inconvenience to commuters.
As late Wednesday night and into Thursday, security personnel remained in high numbers around Jantar Mantar and Connaught Place as protesters continued their agitation. Police were monitoring the situation closely as protesters remained determined to continue their protests.
The recent clashes have added to growing political tensions surrounding the protest, with the government defending the police response and opposition leaders demanding greater accountability over the handling of the demonstrations.
