Pawar, Uddhav visit Jantar Mantar; Raj slams ‘lame duck’ PM

Opposition parties in Maharashtra come forward in support of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) movement demanding educational reforms and government accountability over recent examination paper leaks

Mumbai: 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, opposition parties in Maharashtra have come forward in support of the youth-led Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) movement demanding educational reforms and government accountability over recent examination paper leaks.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar interacts with Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke at Jantar Mantar. (PTI)

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray visited Jantar Mantar, the site of the CJP’s protest in Delhi, on Tuesday and met the protesters. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media over his silence on the issue, equating him to a “lame duck” prime minister. Meanwhile, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar called for a Maharashtra Bandh on July 23.

Pawar, accompanied by his daughter and MP Supriya Sule, reached Jantar Mantar on Tuesday afternoon and interacted with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke. The veteran leader told Dipke that the CJP’s agitation had received support across Maharashtra, with spontaneous protests being launched in several districts, said an NCP (SP) leader aware of the discussions.

Thackeray, who reached Jantar Mantar on Tuesday evening, slammed the central government for the police brutality. “You all are the future of the country, and this is the government which ordered a lathi charge on you. The youth have always stood for the country. During the freedom struggle, it was young revolutionaries and freedom fighters who stood against the British, and India gained independence because of them. Now also, you are fighting for India’s future. I salute your courage,” he said.

Thackeray also appealed to the youth to continue the battle, saying that just the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan—one of the CJP’s demands—will not change the situation. “To bring change in the country, we need to change the government,” he said, while assuring that his party will support the protests.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray criticised the BJP-led Maharashtra government, saying that students had been detained and booked for participating in peaceful protests, including at Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai.

“The voice of students is being suppressed. Everyone should unite in support of this movement. The BJP is an anti-student party,” Aaditya said, while also announcing that his party would provide legal assistance to students facing police cases.

Call for Maharashtra bandh

Accusing the Centre of adopting an authoritarian approach, VBA chief Ambedkar called for a Maharashtra Bandh on July 23 to protest the lathi charge on students. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, he said, “This bandh will remain completely peaceful, and no violence will be allowed.” He also alleged serious irregularities in both the original NEET examination and the re-exam, and expressed concern for the future of students.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who had already extended support to the protests, slammed Modi and the central government on social media. “After witnessing the brutal lathi charge against protesters yesterday, it appears that the government itself has become mentally unstable and needs to be hospitalised. Those in power seem obsessed with demonstrating to the world how they crush legitimate protests and take pleasure in showing it off to the other heads of state, even when you don’t share a common language, by flashing a booming, theatrical laugh for the cameras,” he wrote in a post on X.

Questioning why Pradhan had not been sacked yet, Raj added that “the two top leaders in power (an apparent reference to Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah) have absolutely no affection for individuals like him (Pradhan) or others of his ilk. Their attitude is: No one tells us what to do. Not the opposition, and certainly not the public. After all, we do not get elected based on votes. Our victories rely on manipulating the entire administrative machinery, exploiting chaos in voter lists, and, of course, the power of EVMs. Who cares about the students?”

The developments came a day after videos of the Delhi police beating protesters and dragging them away spread on social media, fueling public outrage.

CM defends police action

However, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis not only defended the police action but also praised them for showing “considerable restraint”. He also alleged that “certain elements” had infiltrated the students’ protest to further their own interests.

“The police exercised considerable restraint and took only the minimum action necessary to bring the situation under control. While many people participated in the protest with genuine concerns, some individuals have joined with the intention of creating unrest. My observations are not intended to question the motives of every protester. It is entirely possible that many had sincere intentions, while others were pursuing their own agenda despite having no connection with the NEET issue,” he said.

Fadnavis said that no government wants to order a lathi charge on its own citizens. “However, given the circumstances on Monday, had the police not intervened, the situation could have escalated further, leading to more unfortunate incidents,” he added.