Cockroach Party Protest in Delhi Leads to Scuffles, 6 Arrested
Cockroach Janata Party supporters protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar - Reuters
Police in Delhi arrested six people on Saturday during a protest rally organized by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar. Officials stated that the arrests were made as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, based on intelligence inputs suggesting possible tensions between supporters and opponents of this online movement.
According to news agency PTI, the measure was taken to ensure the protest ended peacefully and to prevent any major law and order situation.
Hundreds of people participated in the protest, led by CJP founder Abhijit Deepke. Most of the protesters were students and young job seekers. They gathered at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over allegations of various irregularities in examination and recruitment processes.
Officials said the six individuals were taken into custody on suspicion of attempting to create a disturbance near the protest site. However, the situation remained completely under control, and no untoward incidents were reported.
In light of the protest, stringent security measures were put in place at Jantar Mantar and other key locations in the Indian capital. More than a thousand police personnel were deployed across New Delhi district and other sensitive areas. Security was also heightened at Indira Gandhi International Airport and Delhi's border entry points. Senior police officials were closely monitoring the ground situation. Barricades were placed around the protest site to manage the crowd and prevent clashes between rival groups.
Many of the students participating in the protest were seen wearing cockroach masks and carrying flowers as part of their symbolic demonstration. Several school-going children also attended the rally with their parents. The protesters chanted various slogans demanding accountability for the alleged irregularities in examination and recruitment processes.
The CJP emerged as an online movement of young people, primarily protesting alleged irregularities in several areas, including exams related to NEET, CUET, CBSE, and SSC recruitment tests. Over the past month, the group has gained significant popularity on social media, demanding transparency, fairness, and accountability in examination and recruitment processes. Fearing large gatherings and possible attempts by opposing factions to disrupt the protest, Delhi Police had already tightened security ahead of the rally. (Source: Times of India)
