Reports on Tuesday cited India’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke as saying that the youth-led movement will not carry out a march to the parliament again because ‘the police ⁠will hurt the youth again’.

The CJP has however vowed to continue its sit-in protest until its demand for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is met. 

“We had to call off the protest yesterday because we did not want more youth to ​be injured,” news agency Reuters quoted CJP founder ⁠Abhijeet Dipke as telling a press conference.

“We will not march again because the police ⁠will hurt the youth again,” ​he said.

There was no immediate statement from the CJP on the march on its official channels. 

The reported decision to not march comes a day after some 180 people were reportedly injured as thousands of CJP supporters, attempting to get to the Indian parliament, clashed with the police.

According to Delhi Police figures, 118 police personnel and 60 protesters were injured in the confrontation that also saw authorities using batons and tear gas on the youth protesters. 

The CJP alleges that the police ‘brutally’ beat up the protesters while the Delhi police have criticised ‘unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour’ by a ‘violent mob’.

Following the confrontation on Monday, CJP protesters made their way back to their Jantar Mantar protest site, where they had been holding a sit-in demonstration for the past month, to find it dismantled by the police.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka declared: “We won’t stop. Pradhan has to be sacked.”

As of this morning, at least 150-200 ⁠protesters have ​gathered at the protest site poised to protest amid a light drizzle.

“Jantar Mantar Is Again Packed! The more you suppress us, the more we will rise!!” CJP wrote on X.

Security around the protest site and the rest of central Delhi continues to remain tight.

Modi breaks silence

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told MPs of his coalition that strong action was taken against those involved in the NEET medical exam paper leaks, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told the media on Tuesday. 

Modi brought up the paper leaks at his ruling National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) parliamentary party meeting.

The prime minister said at the meeting that 13 people were arrested and sent to jail after reports of the leaks surfaced, Rijiju said. 

“At the same time, to ensure that students’ future was not affected, the NEET re-examination was given priority, conducted successfully, and the results were declared without delay,” Rijiju quoted Modi as saying. 

Modi described the leaks as a ‘grave sin’ and told NDA lawmakers that strict steps have been taken to prevent such paper leaks in the future.

Minister meets injured protesters

India’s Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Tuesday met protesters injured in clashes with police, news agency ANI reported.

The minister also met with the doctors to take stock of the conditions of those injured and the medical care they were receiving, ANI reported.

Representatives from the CJP had on Monday handed a written document with their demands to Nadda, marking an opening of talks between the protesters and the Modi government. 

Dipke apologises to injured protesters

Besides, Dipke visited a hospital in New Delhi to meet supporters who were injured during the attempted march to parliament.

In a message on X, he apologised to CJP supporters who he said were ‘brutally’ beaten up by police personnel.

“I apologise to all our supporters, especially the girls who were brutally beaten by male police officers,” Dipke wrote. 

“We could have done better. I could have done better to protect you from the inhumane actions of the Delhi Police,” he added. 

The CJP head also claimed that a girl was in a critical condition after being injured in a police baton-charge. 

There is no statement from the authorities on Dipke’s claim. 

Meanwhile, the CJP shared a form on social media asking people who had been detained and facing legal charges over the march to reach out.

“We will provide the necessary legal help,” the movement said. 

DW