New Delhi: Delhi Police lobbed tear gas shells and wielded sticks on Parliament Street Monday as thousands of protesters marched towards Parliament where MPs gathered for the first day of the Monsoon Session.
The protest, called by online sensation Cockroach Janta Party for education reforms, was joined by student groups AISA, KYS, SFI, and many professionals.
Situation turned tense around 11.15 am when protesters broke through a major barricade erected in front of the Parliament Street Police Station and marched towards Parliament, just over a kilometre from the Jantar Mantar protest site.
At around 11.25 am, amid slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Matram’ and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, protesters tried to push through multiple barricades in the high-security zone, leading to a scuffle-like situation.
Miscreants in the crowd also threw objects, injuring several people, including the police. Several protesters bore injuries, many police personnel were seen bleeding.
“We have come here to raise our voice for education reforms. We will not be pushed back without being heard. We are not scared of any jail,” a protester said while being whisked away by the police.
Tear gas shells were also lobbed outside Gate 2 of the Central Secretariat Metro Station. More than 20 protesters were detained, officials said.
Internet connectivity around New Delhi was turned off by operators at the authorities’ order.
At around 1 pm, police imposed Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in the area, banning any gathering.
A huge deployment of police and paramilitary personnel was made across central Delhi to contain the protesters.
“Since it’s a sensitive area, security has been doubled across the New Delhi district. Several additional companies of paramilitary forces have been stationed, and police personnel from various departments have been deployed to maintain law and order,” an officer said.
Paramilitary forces in riot gear were stationed the night before, and many more companies were deployed on Monday.
Police forces from several adjoining districts were requisitioned to man key junctions, sensitive locations and government buildings in the Lutyens’ area ahead of the march.
Azad Samaj Party MP from Nagina, Chandrashekhar Azad, and Samajwadi Party MP from Mainpuri, Dimple Yadav, made an appearance at the protest.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation closed five stations – Rajiv Chowk, Janpath, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Seva Teerth.
The Cockroach Janta Party had announced the march to Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session with the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
