Hyderabad: The Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 22, declined to urgently list a plea seeking action against Delhi police for its handling of student protesters during the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) march to Parliament, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant telling the lawyer mentioning the matter, “Don’t waste our time, and don’t waste your time.”
When the lawyer pressed on the issue, stating that there were videos of the police cracking down on students demanding proper conduct of the NEET exam, and reforms in the National Testing Agency, the CJI said, “We are not interested in videos; we don’t have time to watch.”
The CJP’s “Chalo Sansad” march on Monday drew thousands of protesters to central Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG exam and calls for reform of the National Testing Agency (NTA). Delhi Police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, and the force said 118 of its personnel were injured in the clashes, while more than 60 protesters were also hurt. A young woman injured in the police action was reported to be on ventilator support at RML Hospital.
When the lawyer told the CJI that students were raising legitimate issues around the conduct of NEET and reforms in the NTA, the bench cut him short with a curt “Thank you very much.”
The refusal came a day after the Delhi High Court also declined to urgently hear a similar plea on the police action, with the court reportedly telling petitioners not to “drag” it into the matter.
CJP protest and march to Parliament
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led by founder Abhijeet Dipke, has been protesting at Jantar Mantar since June 20 demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated NEET-UG paper leaks and irregularities. The group sought Delhi Police permission for the sit-in in advance and said it would remain peaceful.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest and began an indefinite hunger strike on June 28. He was forcibly removed by Delhi Police and shifted to a hospital, with authorities citing his deteriorating health and a court directive. A day before his removal, the Union Home Ministry replaced Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha with Anurag Kumar, a move reportedly linked to the force’s handling of the earlier CJP protest.
On July 20, CJP led a “Chalo Sansad” march towards Parliament, joined by farmers’ groups, coinciding with the start of the monsoon session. Delhi Police and central paramilitary forces used tear gas and baton charges to stop the march, and videos circulated showing what protesters alleged was a baton fitted with nails used against them near Janpath Metro Station. Delhi Police separately denied CJP’s claims that pellet guns were used on protesters.
Dipke alleged that CJP negotiators Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were kept waiting for hours at Union Minister J P Nadda’s residence to scatter the leadership while police baton-charged students elsewhere. Several were detained and arrested by the police after being dragged and escorted to different police stations in the area.
Wangchuk, who had reportedly agreed to end his hunger strike after persuasion, resumed it after witnessing the police action during the march.
On July 21, protesters returned to Jantar Mantar. They rebuilt the stage the police had dismantled, defying restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) that confined demonstrations to that site. Human Rights Watch called for a probe into allegations of police excess. Some protesters expressed disappointment that Pradhan had not resigned despite the mobilisation; others said the baton charge had strengthened their resolve.
Delhi Police has registered six FIRs invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Arms Act and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, alleging protesters pelted stones and damaged police vehicles. Police say they are examining CCTV footage, drone visuals, mobile phone videos and social media content as part of a probe into a suspected “larger criminal conspiracy.”
