Educationist and social activist Sonam Wangchuk is still on hunger strike in hospital. The CJP and the Janata Party (CJP) have refused to give up the Jantar Mantra. Demonstrators have been gathering since Wednesday morning. They are now demanding the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Not only in India, the movement has now spread to New York and London. Violent protests in support of Wangchuck have also taken place in these two cities. The anti-BJP alliance also took to the streets. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi staged a sit-in in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence in Delhi on Tuesday to protest the police attack on students and youth. He also made five demands to the government while in police custody. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Maitra said the protest was outside the government’s agenda.
The movement that started in the wake of the NIT scam has now reached another stage. The movement is spreading abroad. Members of a US advocacy group held protests in New York and San Jose in support of the hunger strike, news agency PTI reported. Members of the Hindus for Human Rights group gathered in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Union Square and in San Jose, New York. The rally demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Members of the group have protested not just in New York or San Jose, but in London and Dublin alike.
Delhi was abuzz on Monday as the CJP campaigned in Parliament to protest the NIT question paper leak. Despite police lathicharge and tear gas, the protesters reached the Parliament building on Monday afternoon. But in the end they could not reach the Parliament. The CJP and opposition leaders alleged that the police were cracking down on their peaceful protests. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray took to the streets on Tuesday to protest against the behaviour. Tensions escalated at the Congress protest in front of Modi’s residence on Tuesday, after Rahul was arrested and taken to the police station and allegedly pelted with bricks and stones at the Jantar Mantar at night at the police.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi made five demands to the Centre. Rahul posted a video while in custody. The Congress leader demanded the resignation of not only Dharmendra Pradhan, but Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He also demanded action against the police who attacked the protestors on Monday and withdrawal of the FIR against the students. The Congress leadership has demanded an apology from the Modi government for police brutality, Shah’s statement in Parliament and a discussion on central education policy in the monsoon session of Parliament. Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee said she will stand by the cockroaches from the stage on July 21. The next day, Trinamool chief Nadeemul Haque sent a notice to the Rajya Sabha seeking a discussion on the police attack on the students’ rally.
CJP has been supporting the movement since its inception. He went to Jantar Mantar to meet Wangchuk. He was also seen participating in street protests in Delhi on Tuesday. Mahua posted a video message on his social media on Wednesday morning. According to MPs, no matter how hard the government tries, the agitators will not give up their mantra. Mahua also criticized the protest as being outside the government’s curriculum. He claimed that Modi and Shah do not know how to control the situation, they only know how to control horrible people. CJP spokesperson Saurabh Das claimed that his WhatsApp account has been blocked. His question, can Meta close CJP’s account?