New Delhi | CJP protesters allegedly pelted stones at police personnel near Jantar Mantar on Tuesday evening, prompting authorities to deploy heavy security in the area, sources said.
They said some protesters threw stones at police teams. However, no immediate information was available on whether anyone sustained any injury.
Police appealed to the protesters to maintain peace and not indulge in violence, sources added.
Heavy security has been deployed in and around Jantar Mantar to prevent any escalation of the situation.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar since June 6, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged paper leaks.
On Monday, the police lathi-charged and tear-gassed the protesters when they attempted to march towards the Parliament, on the first day of the Monsoon session.
In the ensuing clashes, 118 police personnel and 60 protesters sustained injuries.
New Delhi | Delhi Police on Tuesday rejected allegations by the CJP's chief spokesperson that security personnel used pellet guns against protesters during the "Chalo Sansad" march, terming the claim "completely false and misleading".
CJP's Saurav Das shared a video on his official X handle alleging that police had fired pellet guns at peaceful protesters. The post also carried a video showing a man lying injured in a hospital, claiming he had sustained pellet injuries during the protest.
Responding to the allegation, Delhi Police issued a "Fake News Alert" on its official X account, denying the claim.
"Reports claiming that police forces are using pellet guns against peaceful protesters are completely false and misleading," the police said.
The force urged people not to share or circulate unverified content and advised the public to verify facts only through official sources before posting or forwarding information on social media.
"Appropriate legal action will be taken against individuals found spreading rumours or misinformation," read the post of the Delhi Police.
At least 60 protesters and 118 police personnel were injured in clashes that erupted in New Delhi district when demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament during the "Chalo Sansad" protest.
Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi | Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Tuesday condemned the police action against students protesting in the national capital and said he had joined the Congress-led march to the Prime Minister's residence in solidarity with them.
In a Facebook post, Satheesan described the developments in Delhi as "extraordinary" and said the country's youth and students, who represent its future, had come under brutal attack.
"These are extraordinary developments taking place in the country. The youth and students, who are the hopes of the nation, have been brutally attacked in the national capital," he said.
The chief minister said the protest march to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence was being led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal.
"I, along with Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and MPs from Kerala, was part of this march. This is a time for the country to stand united. Everyone should join this cause," Satheesan said.
Thousands of students and activists gathered at Jantar Mantar on Monday for the Cockroach Janta Party's proposed march to Parliament despite heavy security arrangements, multi-layered barricades and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
Police used force, including lathicharge and tear gas shells, after protesters attempted to march towards Parliament, with both sides blaming each other for the violence.
The agitation, which began on June 20, is seeking accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protest gathered further political backing on Tuesday, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with Kharge and several senior party leaders, staging a dharna outside the Prime Minister's Lok Kalyan Marg residence and demanding Narendra Modi's resignation over the police action against the student protesters.
Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph condemned the alleged use of force by the Delhi Police and central security personnel against Kerala Minister P C Vishnunath and MPs Kodikunnil Suresh and Dean Kuriakose during the protest outside the Prime Minister's residence.
In a statement, Joseph termed the police action "undemocratic" and alleged that the elected representatives were arrested without being accorded due consideration as public representatives. He said attempts to suppress peaceful protests through force would weaken democratic values.
He also alleged that the action against the minister and MPs was a continuation of the police crackdown on students protesting over alleged irregularities in NEET-UG and other competitive examinations.
KPCC general secretary (organisation) Neyyattinkara Sanal announced that the party would organise statewide protests on Wednesday evening at district headquarters and Assembly constituency centres to protest the police action against the Kerala minister and MPs.
New Delhi | Wielding paintbrushes as they turned everyday images and objects into biting satire, the protesting students at the Jantar Mantar have channelled their creativity into their agitation against alleged paper leaks, transforming the venue into an open-air gallery where art has became a language of dissent.
A day after the Cockroach Janata Party's "Sansad Chalo" march was thwarted by police, the sit-in demonstration continues at the Jantar Mantar.
In the backdrop of fervent speeches and sloganeering, hand-drawn illustrations, querky costumes, poetic placards, caricatures, cartoons and even memes lie strewn around the venue, as a generation turns to creativity to amplify its demands.
One of the most striking displays was a sanitary napkin carrying the handwritten message, "...even this pad doesn't leak," in a satirical reference to the alleged examination paper leaks.
Nearby stood a recreation of the iconic "three wise monkeys" -- one covering the eyes with a bandage, another putting a lock over its mouth, while the third pours oil into its ears.
The captions read, "Patti chot pe lagao, aankho pe nahi (Bandage wound, not the eyes)", "Taala darwaze pe lagao, muh pe nahi (Lock doors, not the mouth)" and "Tel kaano me nahi, baalo me daalo (Put oil on your hair, not in your ears)," urging authorities not to ignore, suppress or remain deaf to students' concerns.
History and revolution too found expression through art. Hand-painted portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar were displayed alongside posters of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Floral designs dotted the protest venue, while the artworks -- most of them fashioned out of mundane objects, with defiant strokes of paint and sketch pen on recycled paper -- added a distinctive youthful vibrancy.
Historical figures came alive through cosplay. Several participants came dressed as Mahatma Gandhi, with one of the portrayals featuring blood-like tears streaming from Gandhi's eyes.
Bollywood dialogues and popular culture featured prominently in placards. One adapted a well-known dialogue from Rohit Shetty's 'Golmaal 3' to read, "Jaldi resignation do, subah Panvel jana hai (Resign quickly, got to leave for Panvel tomorrow)," while another borrowed the title "Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar" to caption the caricatures of two political leader.
Another poster depicted a map of India like a biscuit being dipped into a cup of tea. "I wanted to show how the country is being treated. It took me two days to complete this poster. I carried it during Monday's march and have brought it here again today because I want more people to see the message," Hardik, a protester, said.
Pointing to a scarf featuring the Strawhat Pirate skull from the popular Japanese manga and anime series "One Piece", protester Shivangi said, "This is a warning sign. It's our way of saying that something is seriously wrong and cannot be ignored."
Humour took the centre-stage. One placard read, "Its so bad, even introverts are here," while another featured a cartoon cockroach supporting the movement.
The protest's creative expression extended beyond Jantar Mantar. Videos edited in the style of the popular mobile game Subway Surfers, showing police chasing protesters during Monday's Parliament march, were shared widely on social media, while photographs capturing the essence of the demonstration at Jantar Mantar made their way across online platforms, garnering views globally.
On Monday, thousands participated in the march to Parliament called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on the first day of the Monsoon Session, to push for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, but were prevented by police.