CJP protests: Uddhav slams Modi for police brutality, calls for Oppn unity

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Thackeray urged the government to engage in dialogue with the protesters and questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unwilling to listen to public sentiment.

Mumbai: A day after meeting protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Tuesday evening, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday continued his attack on the Centre over what he called its “undemocratic” handling of the youth-led agitation, while stressing the need for better coordination among opposition parties to effectively counter the government.

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Uddhav Thackeray urged the government to engage in dialogue with the protesters and questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unwilling to listen to public sentiment. (PTI)

Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Thackeray urged the government to engage in dialogue with the protesters and questioned why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unwilling to listen to public sentiment.

“You want the country to listen to your ‘Mann Ki Baat’ (Modi’s monthly radio programme), but you are not ready to listen to jann ki baat (what people are saying). You brutally attacked students. This is not what Hindutva teaches us. What’s the difference between you and Ravan?” he said, adding, “Is the government conspiring to create anarchy in the country?”

Before leaving for Mumbai, Thackeray also spoke to the leader of the opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, to discuss how opposition parties could support the student-led protest in the coming days, according to Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders.

Thackeray had reached Delhi on Tuesday evening, a day after the Delhi police resorted to a lathi charge and used tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters attempting to march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament. The protesters, largely students and supporters of the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) movement, are demanding educational reforms and government accountability over recent examination paper leaks.

After reaching Delhi, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief went to Jantar Mantar and interacted with the protesters, including CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. At his press conference on Wednesday, Thackeray said that after watching the Modi government’s brutal lathi charge on the youth, people now feel the British were better rulers.

“It’s the duty of the government to listen to protesters and resolve the issue through dialogue. But the government ignored them. This was not a democratic way to handle the protests,” he added.

Praising the protesters for their courage, he said, “Last night, I met young protesters at Jantar Mantar. After interacting with them, I realised that there is still fire in people’s minds and the courage to fight injustice. Now, there is a need for better coordination and communication among opposition parties.”

In his conversation with LoP Gandhi later in the day, Thackeray discussed the need for a united opposition strategy to raise this issue in the Parliament. He also expressed the need to stand in support of the students in the coming days. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also met Thackeray at the residence of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, according to party leaders.