Delhi Police on Tuesday rejected the allegations by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) that a “mystery truck” loaded with stones had been deliberately parked near Jantar Mantar ahead of its July 20 ‘Chalo
Sansad’ march to incite violence and called them “false and misleading”.
The CJP had organised the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march amid protests over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, which had left lakhs of students affected nationwide.
The clarification comes days after violent clashes broke out between CJP supporters and police during the protest in central Delhi, leaving more than 200 police personnel and over 65 protesters injured.
Also Read: CJP Protest Violence: 3 Attempt To Murder, 12 Rioting Cases Among 20 FIRs Filed By Delhi Police
Ahead of the march, CJP leaders and supporters had shared videos and social media posts alleging that the truck carrying stones had been strategically stationed near the protest site as part of a conspiracy to frame peaceful demonstrators.
Responding to the allegations, Delhi Police said the claims were unfounded and that the vehicle had, in fact, been seized four days before the protest in connection with a road accident.
The claims that the truck was deliberately parked near Jantar Mantar or outside the office of any political party are “completely baseless”, said the police, in a statement.
Truck Seized After Accident: Delhi Police
According to the police, the truck was seized on July 16 after it was involved in an accident with a van in which six people were injured. An FIR was subsequently registered, and the vehicle was taken into police custody.
Officials said the truck was initially parked near Parliament Street Police Station because of a lack of storage space elsewhere.
However, in view of the extensive security and law and order arrangements for the ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest, authorities decided to unload the stones and move the vehicle to a safer location in the early hours of July 20 after issuing necessary instructions to its owner.
“There is no truth in claims linking the vehicle to any conspiracy against protesters,” the police said.
Delhi Police also urged people not to circulate unverified information on social media and appealed to citizens to rely only on information shared through official channels.
What Happened In July 20 Protest?
Violence erupted during the CJP ‘Chalo Sansad’ protest on July 20, with clashes breaking out between demonstrators and security personnel at multiple locations around Jantar Mantar and nearby areas.
Also Read: ‘Withdraw FIRs, Honour Guarantees’: CJP Warns Of Fresh Protests As Deadline Ends Today
According to Delhi Police, more than 65 protesters and over 200 police personnel were injured in the unrest. The alleged use of plastic pellets by security forces during the operation later became a major political flashpoint after reports claimed that several protesters had sustained grievous injuries.
Amid the controversy, a high-level meeting was held at the Delhi Police headquarters on Tuesday to discuss a general diary (GD) entry made at Parliament Street police station regarding the use of non-lethal munitions by the Rapid Action Force (RAF).
According to official records, the RAF fired 55 non-electrical shells, 15 electrical shells, five tear smoke grenades, two rounds from anti-riot guns and two rounds of plastic pellets while dispersing the crowd.
Police officials said each round of plastic pellets contains four plastic projectiles designed to cause less serious injuries than metal pellets.
Delhi Police has, however, maintained that claims of pellet guns being used against protesters are “false and misleading”, reiterating the same position in a statement posted on its official X handle.
CJP Warns Of Fresh Protest
The CJP on Tuesday threatened to launch a fresh nationwide agitation, accusing the Centre of reneging on assurances given during talks by citing the Supreme Court’s interim order in the batch of petitions related to the July 20 protest.
The outfit alleged that the government had failed to provide a written commitment on withdrawing FIRs lodged against protesters, despite earlier agreeing to do so.
Speaking to PTI, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said officials informed the delegation that the issue had become “sub judice” following the Supreme Court’s interim order, and therefore the promised written assurance had not been issued.
“They are now using that order and wanting to go back on the guarantees that they gave to the youth of this country. If the government does not honour its word and the agreements, we will be forced to again call for a big protest, not just in Delhi but nationwide,” Das said.
Warning of a more sustained movement if the assurances are not implemented, he added, “This time, when the young of this country come out in support of fellow young people who are being targeted, they will not go back until full accountability is secured.”
The latest warning comes just days after CJP ended its 36-day sit-in at Jantar Mantar, announcing that the Centre had accepted several of its key demands. These included the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, withdrawal of FIRs against protesters, protection from retaliatory action and a commitment to examine wider reforms in the examination system.
With inputs from PTI
