Ahmedabad4 hours agoAuthor: Aziz Cutleriwala
A protest erupted in Ahmedabad in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk, and the current agitation ongoing in Delhi regarding the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, in light of the NEET paper leak.
The unorganised protest that started at around 5:30 PM, took place near the MJ Library, in front of Ellisbridge.
However, the gathering proceeded further in a true sense of ‘cockroach’ demonstration, as those involved kept emerging out from various alleys and spots across the busy MJ Library crossroads, keeping the cops on their toes.
Wangchuk-CJP protest in Ahmedabad
The demonstration was organised by a local group of activists, lawyers, and students. They decided the date and time of the protest, and also kept a team for legal aides.
Ahmedabad Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Neeraj Badgujar shared that over 150 demonstrators were detained, as they were protesting at the site without police permission.
A letter also shows a protest permission application rejected by Ellisbridge Police citing traffic issues during peak hours.
Cockroaches turn up in numbers
A major portion of demonstrators comprised of youngsters and students, who were agile with their movement across the location.
A peculiar observation at the protest site was the longevity of the protest, which was supposed to be disbanded within minutes, but was prolonged for around 2-3 hours, till at least 8 PM.
Although police staff was deployed in ample numbers, the protestors took advantage of the location’s geography. When chased by police attempting to detain them, the protestors escaped to alleys, reorganising within minutes once the cops moved aside.
Two hours’ demonstration
The cat-and-mouse chase went on for a fair couple of hours, before it turned dark and most of the protestors were detained. Buses from Zone-1 police stations were also summoned at the sight, under the presence of the DCP Harshad Patel.
Of those who were detained, a significant number, brought at Vejalpur Police Station, continued the protest with sloganeering, amplifying the same demands. Within minutes, buses arrived carrying more lots of protestors from the site, who amassed at the premises to register their dissent.
JCP Badgujar added that if required, legal proceedings will be initiated against those who have tampered with legal boundaries.
