CJP Protesters Clash With Police in Connaught Place, Forcing Shops to Close
Violent clashes broke out between Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protesters and police personnel in Connaught Place and surrounding areas of Lutyens’ Delhi on Monday, leading to a six-hour police clearing operation and the closure of local business establishments. The showdown, which began at the Jantar Mantar protest site, spread across Janpath, Raisina Road, and central Delhi, leaving streets littered with debris and forcing a local metro station to shut down for the day.
The conflict escalated as protesters marched toward Raisina Road near the Parliament, nearly two kilometers from Jantar Mantar. In response, police utilized tear gas and lathi-charges to push the crowds back to the Windsor Place roundabout. The clearing operation lasted for nearly six hours as security personnel, including Rapid Action Force units, attempted to disperse the demonstration.
The unrest had a severe impact on the Connaught Place and Janpath business districts. Fearing damage, local shops, cafes, and restaurants hurriedly pulled down their shutters. A nearby metro station remained closed throughout Monday, and a local petrol pump suffered damage, including a gaping hole in the glass of one of its stores.
Vandalism was reported across the protest routes. On Janpath, a police bus was left with a broken windshield, and a vandalized police van was overturned on its side near the metro station entrance. During a fresh confrontation around 6:00 p.m., protesters lobbed stones and bricks at advancing police, damaged another bus, and set a police motorcycle on fire.
The CJP protesters, who have been demonstrating for a month, are demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Despite the police dismantling the main protest stage and clearing the area, hundreds of protesters regrouped.
By 6:30 p.m., Dr. Gitanjali Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, returned to the Jantar Mantar venue near Kerala House alongside Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, and spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das.
By 10:00 p.m., hundreds of protesters successfully breached the police barricades to reoccupy the area. Under dimmed lights, Dipke, Ranka, and Das led the crowd back onto the dismantled stage, chanting slogans and vowing to continue the protest until their demands are met.
