The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to urgently hear a petition alleging excessive use of force by the Delhi Police during Monday's student-led protest march to Parliament, observing that it did not wish to be drawn into the controversy at this stage.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia, however, agreed to list the matter for hearing on Wednesday. When the petition was mentioned for urgent listing, counsel for the petitioner alleged that Delhi Police personnel had resorted to excessive force against students and other demonstrators participating in the protest.
Responding to the request, the Bench remarked, "Don't drag the court into all this," before scheduling the plea for hearing the following day. The petition arises in the backdrop of widespread clashes that erupted in central Delhi during a protest organised by supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET examination paper leak. The demonstration intensified after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to hospital on Saturday, bringing his 21-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to an end. Wangchuk had been observing the fast in support of the CJP's campaign.
On Monday morning, thousands of protesters, many of them students and young people, gathered at Jantar Mantar before attempting to march towards Parliament despite prohibitory orders imposed by the authorities. The protest later descended into violence as security personnel attempted to stop demonstrators from moving ahead. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd, while some protesters allegedly hurled stones at security forces. Several participants were seen running for safety as police launched baton charges in different parts of the protest route.
According to the Delhi Police, a total of 178 people sustained injuries during the clashes, including 118 police personnel, among them senior officers. The force accused sections of the crowd of engaging in violent and aggressive behaviour.
In a statement issued late Monday, the police said that around 60 protesters were also injured during the confrontation. Protest organisers, however, disputed the police's account and accused the authorities of using disproportionate force against peaceful demonstrators. They claimed that hundreds of participants suffered injuries during the crackdown. A spokesperson for the Cockroach Janta Party described the police action as "a shameful day in the history of Indian democracy", alleging that students raising legitimate concerns over examination irregularities had been subjected to brutality. The organisation reiterated that it would continue its agitation until the Education Minister steps down.
The Cockroach Janta Party emerged earlier this year after a remark by the Chief Justice of India during an unrelated hearing, in which some unemployed youth were compared to "cockroaches". Supporters appropriated the comment and transformed it into a satirical political movement that has since gained significant traction on social media, particularly amid public outrage over repeated leaks of competitive entrance examinations.