Guwahati: The protest at Jantar Mantar intensified on Sunday as large numbers of supporters gathered ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party(CJP) proposed ‘Chalo Sansad’ march to Parliament on Monday. The demonstration comes amid growing demands for accountability over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.
Addressing supporters, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke urged protesters to remain at the site through the night in preparation for Monday’s march. Meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, said Wangchuk is willing to end his hunger strike if political leaders assure him that the issue of accountability in the education system will be taken up in Parliament.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka also addressed the gathering, asking protesters to restrict themselves to three slogans during the demonstration – “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Dharmendra Pradhan istifa do,” and “Inquilab Zindabad.” He urged participants not to raise any other slogans during the proposed march.
The Delhi Police, however, has made it clear that the march will not be allowed. In a public advisory, the force said no permission has been granted for the CJP’s proposed march to Parliament on July 20 and that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remain in force across the New Delhi district. Police warned that legal action would be taken against anyone violating the restrictions.
Senior police officers said any procession towards Parliament could pose security risks and disrupt traffic in one of the capital’s most sensitive zones. They also maintained that the organisers neither informed the police nor sought permission for the march.
According to a senior police officer, CJP had originally been granted permission for only a one-day demonstration at Jantar Mantar. The sit-in has since continued without official approval, making the ongoing protest unauthorised, the officer said.
The standoff comes even as the Delhi High Court continues to monitor Wangchuk’s health. Hearing an urgent petition filed by Gitanjali Angmo, the court declined to shift the activist from Safdarjung Hospital to a private medical facility. Instead, it directed Wangchuk to cooperate with the doctors treating him and to seek a fresh status report on his health within three days. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on July 24.
Wangchuk was taken to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated during his indefinite hunger strike. According to doctors, he remains stable but is weak and mildly dehydrated after more than three weeks without food.
The protest campaign has drawn increasing support from activists and opposition leaders, who have demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG examination irregularities.