New Delhi: A “Chalo Sansad” march organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) descended into clashes on Monday near Kerala Bhawan after sections of the crowd tried to force their way past police cordons, prompting Delhi Police to resort to at least two rounds of baton-charge to disperse demonstrators.
Minor incidents of stone-pelting were reported around the barricades, turning what organisers had billed as a peaceful procession into a fraught confrontation on the capital’s streets.
According to reports, participants in the march surged toward the security barriers protecting the parliamentary precinct and attempted to push through a heavy police presence. In response, Delhi Police resorted to cane charges to push the crowd back. Witnesses said there were at least two such rounds of baton action close to the Kerala Bhawan barricades. Some protesters were observed picking up stones during the melee, while others kept up slogans and beat daflis as clashes erupted, as reported by Times Now.
The violence unfolded despite clear warnings from police that movement beyond the allotted protest zone at Jantar Mantar would not be allowed. Security was tightened around the Parliament area from early morning, with multiple layers of barricades and a large deployment of Delhi Police and RAF personnel to stop any advance toward the legislature.
Earlier in the day, DCP New Delhi Sachin Sharma cautioned that the protest site had exceeded capacity and risked turning into a law-and-order situation, urging people to avoid coming to the area and noting that Section 163 of the BNSS had been invoked. CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das, meanwhile, insisted the demonstrators needed a larger space and said thousands more were yet to arrive, maintaining that the march would remain peaceful.
Gitanjali Angmo Joins March
Gitanjali Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, took part in Monday’s ‘Chalo Sansad’ march in his absence and urged participants to remain non-violent and keep attention on education. “We will focus on this march. Three points are very important today. First, we will focus on conducting the march peacefully. Let us stay focused on the issue — the issue of education, which is a vital need for this country and remain vigilant,” she told ANI.