Police lathi-charge protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after denying march to Parliament

The Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel on Monday lathi-charged protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

For weeks, protesters have been seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the leak of the medical entrance test Neet. The protest has been organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and is being led by activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was whisked away by the police on the 21st day of his hunger strike. He is currently held at the Safdarjung hospital.

ANI shared visuals of the authorities' crackdown on protesters. Earlier, the Delhi Police had barred them from carrying out a protest march.

Previously, the authorities had cordoned off the area to prevent protesters from beginning their march, erecting barricades and deploying hundreds of security personnel along with water cannons.

Despite visuals showing armed security personnel lathi-charging protesters, Delhi Police said in a statement that there was no "sporadic use of violence/detentions at Jantar Mantar by Delhi Police".

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"It is informed that no such incident has taken place and protest is being handled professionally. All are requested not to fall pray to any rumour/misgivings, and, to assist Delhi Police in maintaining peace and public order at and around the site," the force further said in a post on X.

Earlier in the day, CJP founder-president Abhijeet Dipke declared that he would proceed with the march regardless of the Delhi Police's prohibition.

"The biggest march in India's history is about to take place. For the past 10-12 years, attempts have been made to destroy democracy in this country. By sitting at Jantar Mantar for a month, you have revived democracy. People are arriving from all over the country. When I was in the USA, people used to tell me that no one would take to the streets, that it would remain nothing more than a social media trend. Look today at the four roads leading to Jantar Mantar; all of them are completely packed...No one can stop us from going to Parliament," said Dipke.

Separately, three All India Students' Association (Aisa) activists on Monday ended their hunger strike at Jantar Mantar following an appeal from a delegation of Opposition lawmakers, civil society members, and eminent personalities.

Aisa activists Neha, Manish, and Aameen, who had been on a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar for 23 days, ended their fast after a delegation comprising MP Manoj Jha, CPI(M) MP Amra Ram, CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, Rajaram Singh, social activist Yogendra Yadav, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, academic Atul Sood, and actors Prakash Raj and Shabana Azmi visited them and assured them that their demands would be raised in Parliament during the Monsoon Session starting on Monday.

Previously, Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, had said that her husband would end his fast if political leaders met him at the hospital and assured him that they would raise the issue over which he was protesting in Parliament.

Wangchuk has been held by the authorities at Safdarjung hospital after being whisked away from the protest site by the police.

Delhi Metro stations shut amid crackdown on protesters

The authorities have shut down five Delhi Metro stations amid a crackdown on protesters.

The shutdown stranded hundreds of commuters who could not get off at their destinations and had to take longer routes.

The metro stations shut down were Janpath, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, and Seva Teerth.