India
Fresh violence erupted in central Delhi on Wednesday night as tensions escalated during the ongoing protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Although demonstrators gathered peacefully at Jantar Mantar for most of the day, the situation deteriorated along Sansad Marg near Park Hotel, where clashes broke out between protesters and security personnel.
According to Delhi Police, five police personnel sustained injuries during the unrest. The injured officers include two Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs), one inspector, one head constable, and one constable. Authorities said the confrontation intensified after a section of protesters allegedly became unruly, forcing police to respond with tear gas shells in an attempt to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Eyewitnesses reported that protesters spilled onto Sansad Marg from the designated protest area, leading to a confrontation with riot-control personnel. During the violence, some demonstrators allegedly pelted stones at police officers, while videos from the scene showed a police officer being chased and assaulted by members of the crowd.
The stretch between Tolstoy Marg near Janpath and the NDMC Convention Centre initially witnessed limited security deployment. However, as the situation worsened, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces moved into the area in riot gear to prevent further escalation. Reinforcements were deployed around key intersections, and barricades were strengthened to contain the disturbance.
In an effort to calm the situation, protest organisers and CJP volunteers joined police appeals for peace. A volunteer was seen standing atop a police bus equipped with a loudspeaker, urging demonstrators to stop stone pelting and maintain discipline. Volunteers warned that violence could undermine the objectives of the protest movement and appealed to participants to remain peaceful.
Authorities also instructed protesters to sit on the road and avoid aggressive sloganeering while police worked to regain control. Despite the unrest on Sansad Marg, officials said the main protest site at Jantar Mantar remained relatively calm. Access towards Sansad Marg was subsequently sealed using riot-control vehicles and security barricades to prevent the violence from spreading.
As a precautionary measure, the government ordered a temporary suspension of mobile internet services in parts of central Delhi. Telecom operators were directed to halt internet connectivity within a 1.5-kilometre radius of Jantar Mantar from 6 pm on Wednesday until 6 am on Thursday. Users in the affected area received alerts informing them that internet services had been suspended under government orders.
Meanwhile, CJP volunteers were also seen removing loose stones from roads and traffic islands surrounding the protest venue to reduce the risk of further stone-pelting incidents. Additional buses carrying Delhi Police personnel continued arriving near Parliament Street Police Station as authorities strengthened security across the area.
The clashes came amid heightened political tensions surrounding the CJP-led demonstrations. Security agencies remain on alert as officials monitor the situation closely and work to prevent any further outbreak of violence in the national capital.
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