More than 75,000 people have gathered at Jantar Mantar and thousands more are trying to get there as the govt shuts down Metro stations and public transport around Jantar Mantar.
Meanwhile, Police has shut down CCTV cameras and internet around Jantar Mantar. Why is the government so scared of our youth?
Seeking accountability, encouraging dialogue, and peaceful protests are hallmarks of a healthy democracy. But when peaceful protesters, seeking accountability are met with force and dissent is suppressed, it signals authoritarianism.
Whether it is the forcible removal of Sonam Wangchuk from Delhi's Jantar Mantar during his indefinite hunger strike demanding accountability over the NEET paper leak, the dismantling of a 15-day protest by Gond and Kol Adivasis in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, who are facing displacement and were demanding fair rehabilitation, adequate compensation, protection of their land rights in the Ken–Betwa River Project, or the use of police force and lathi-charge against students protesting today, these incidents highlight the authoritarianism, silencing voices, dissent, and critical questions.
In his speech to the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, Dr. Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar warned that democracy requires constitutional methods for achieving social and political change. He cautioned against abandoning these methods in favour of extra-constitutional means, while also making clear that democratic institutions must remain responsive to the voices and grievances of citizens. A Constitution, in his view, could only succeed when those entrusted with power respected its spirit and not merely its written provisions.
Babasaheb also emphasised that political democracy cannot survive without the values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The right to question authority, demand accountability, and peacefully express disagreement is central to preserving these values. For him, democracy was not only about majority rule; it was about ensuring that power remained accountable and that citizens retained the ability to challenge injustice.
A democracy is ultimately tested not by how it treats agreement, but by how it responds to disagreement!
Suppression of dissent has not worked well for those in power in the long run. Successive Congress governments, and now the BJP government have all restricted voices of opposition and curb dissent like the British Raj.
History shows that silencing questions and suppressing democratic expression does not strengthen authority; it only deepens public resistance and ultimately weakens those who attempt to impose authoritarian practices within a democracy.
They have started detaining students standing peacefully.
I wish Delhi Police would take similar action against criminals, rapists, goons, thieves etc.
Truck loaded with stones have been parked at Jantar Mantar.
What are the police authorities upto? Are they orchestrating stone-pelting on the peaceful CJP protesters?
I went to Jantar Mantar this morning before Lok Sabha. Soon after total internet shut down & brutality started. Any government that attacks non violent student protestors with brute force is on its last legs.
Bhagat Singh bombed Britisher
Ram Prasad shot Britisher
Bose made army to attack britisher
Gand phat jayegi tumhari aur tumhare baap ki agar OLD left wapas aa gaye to
Indian police have forcibly removed prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk from a protest site in New Delhi and took him to the hospital, saying his health was deteriorating from a hunger strike over alleged corruption in India’s exam system https://t.co/Iykz5JVqG1
The core tenets of the Modi government are Asatya and Hinsa.
The removal of Sonam Wangchuk ji from Jantar Mantar while he was on a non-violent hunger strike is wrong.
Paper leaks, the rising cost of education, and student suicides are critical issues for India’s future.
No amount of force can deter India’s students, and those of us who love and believe in them, from raising these issues.
#ChhatronKiGoonj