Ahead of the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) proposed 'Chalo Sansad' march outside the Parliament on Monday, the police has denied permission for the protest, paving the way for a tense setting outside as the monsoon session begins.
The Delhi Police has also imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) across the New Delhi district, which prevents protest marches, processions, demonstrations, and assemblies of five or more people, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar and only with prior permission.
"Delhi Police categorically clarifies that no permission has been sought or granted for any such protest march/procession," read an advisory issued by Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma in a post on X.
However, the CJP has so far remain unperturbed, with founder Abhijit Dipke urging supporters to hold a night-long vigil at Jantar Mantar, in order to prevent the police from ending the protest.
"Our protest is going on. Please come here in large numbers. Stay here for the night. If you don't come, they will try to end the protest," he said, adding that the protest was to remain non-violent, and was to comply with norms of the Delhi Police.
The CJP's calls for support for Chalo Sansad also led to about 20,000 supporters already in and around Jantar Mantar ahead of the march, as per the satirical outfit's spokesperson, Saurav Das.
As such, the mounting protest is still aimed at the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.
In that regard, Dipke—who has himself begun an indefinite hunger strike to add to the protest—told supporters that Sonam Wangchuk's June 28 hunger strike was continuing, despite his admission to the Safdarjung Hospital.
The CJP leader, as well as Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo, have both claimed that he was being detained there, and was not allowed to leave.
However, the Delhi High Court declined to grant interim relief to Wangchuk on Sunday, backing the Centre's decision to intervene, saying that the latter was within its rights to do so after he did not voluntarily seek medical care despite his deteriorating health.
She later declared that Wangchuk was prepared to call off his indefinite hunger strike on Monday if political leaders assured him that the issue of accountability in the education sector would be raised in the monsoon session of the Parliament.
