Guwahati: Delhi Police on Monday used batons to disperse hundreds of students and youth activists who were marching from Mandi House Metro Station towards Jantar Mantar, where supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) had assembled for a protest.
The demonstrators, many of them women, marched while raising slogans against the Centre. A large contingent of Delhi Police personnel was deployed to prevent the procession from moving towards the protest venue.
Authorities had not issued any official statement on the reported baton charge or whether any protesters had been detained at the time of reporting.
Despite heavy rainfall and extensive security arrangements across central Delhi, thousands of people assembled at Jantar Mantar for the protest.
To contain the gathering, Delhi Police barricaded the area surrounding Jantar Mantar, sealed several roads leading towards Parliament and enforced prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). As part of the security measures, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth metro stations were closed.
Police had earlier announced that permission had not been granted for the proposed march towards Parliament and warned that any unauthorised procession would not be allowed.
Even with the restrictions in place, protesters continued arriving at Jantar Mantar throughout the morning. The CJP shared photographs and videos on social media showing large crowds at the venue, writing, “Heavy rains and massive security, but nothing will stop the cockroaches today.”
In a separate social media post, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared an image of the Constitution with the message, “Long live the Constitution.”
The party also urged its supporters to maintain peace, stating that although several metro stations had been shut and many participants were being prevented from reaching Jantar Mantar, the protest should remain non-violent.