CJP protest continues day two despite food, water cutoff.
Protesters earlier claimed organizers cut the lights and restricted their access to water, food, and washroom facilities.
Jantar Mantar Protest Enters Day Two as Police Cut Off Food, Water and Lights
A Sit-In That Refused to End
Most protests at Jantar Mantar wrap up by evening. This one didn’t.
Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke and a group of protesters sat through the night, refusing to leave even after police told them their permission had run out. By Sunday, the demonstration was into its second day, and it had picked up a new ally along the way.
The agitation, largely led by young people, centres around alleged irregularities in NEET, the paper leak controversy that derailed the original exam, and a demand that’s become the rallying cry of the movement: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
It’s a youth-led push, but on Sunday, Dipke widened the net.
Reaching Out to Farmers
Dipke asked farmers across India to come stand with the students at Jantar Mantar. His reasoning leaned on history. He pointed out that when farmers were fighting for their own rights in past protests, students showed up to support them.
“I appeal to farmers across India to come and stand with students at Jantar Mantar,” he said, framing it as a debt now coming due.
Police Step In, Protesters Push Back
The 5 PM Deadline
Saturday evening brought tension. Police made repeated announcements asking the crowd to clear out, pointing out that the permission granted for the gathering had expired at 5 pm.
Dipke and several others stayed anyway, turning the day protest into an overnight sit-in.
Allegations of Food, Water and Light Cuts
Things got messier after dark. Dipke posted a string of messages on X claiming that police had cut off food, water, and lights at the protest site. He also said washroom access had been restricted, leaving demonstrators without basic facilities through the night.
In one post, he specifically asked authorities to restore water supply to the public restrooms, saying there had been no water since Saturday night.
By Sunday, the picture had improved slightly.
Delhi Police weren’t quiet about their position either. On Saturday night, they directed Dipke and the protesters to vacate the venue, stating clearly that the demonstration only had permission from 10 am to 5 pm.
Continuing past that window, police said, counted as a violation of the conditions under which permission was granted in the first place. They warned that legal action could follow if the protesters refused to disperse.
A Movement Tied to Tragedy
Dipke didn’t frame this as a routine demonstration.
What Happens Next
With NEET re-exam aspirants potentially joining after their test and farmers being publicly invited to the site, Sunday could turn into a bigger test of how far this protest grows.
For now, the demonstrators are holding their ground at Jantar Mantar, betting that public pressure will eventually force the response they’re after.