Fresh clashes erupt between protesters and police near Jantar Mantar; cops injured, tear gas fired

Fresh clashes erupted between police and protesters near Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is holding an ongoing sit-in over the NEET paper leak and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with raising broader concerns regarding the education system.

Visuals shared on social media appeared to show fresh clashes tonight between CJP protesters and police. Visuals showed some youths were attacking police with sticks and pelting stones at them.

Police were seen dispersing the crowd using tear gas and lathi charges as the confrontation between demonstrators and police escalated.

According to multiple media reports, at least five police personnel- two ACPs, one inspector, one head constable and one constable- were injured in the fresh tensions that erupted near Sansad Marg.

Delhi Police said an officer was injured in fresh violence in Connaught Place as some miscreants attacked police with stones and bottles.

"At around 8:30 pm, near Tolstoy Marg in Connaught Place, some miscreants attacked the police with stones and bottles, injuring ACP Connaught Place Vivek Bhagat. Senior officers took him to RML Hospital. The situation was tense for a few minutes, but now there is peace," Delhi Police said in a statement.

Internet services were temporarily suspended in parts of central Delhi following an order issued to telecom service providers, with a data alert informing users that the services had been stopped in the area as per government instructions.

Congress MP KC Venugopal termed the cut-off of Internet as a direct assault on freedom of speech and an effort to hide Delhi police's brutalities.

"PM Modi has cut off internet around Jantar Mantar, which is creating immense panic,” Venugopal said as the crowd of protesters swelled around the protest site.

“This is a direct assault on freedom of speech, to silence the voice of India’s youth and hide the Delhi Police’s brutalities,” he added.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj, along with JMM MP Mahua Maji, joined the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.

AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal, in a video message on X, said that the government had deployed a larger number of security forces and that internet services had been shut down. He speculated that the government might launch a crackdown on the protesting students and appealed to the Centre not to take such a "misadventure".