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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has condemned the assault on Times Now reporter Dev Kotak at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, calling the incident unacceptable and
urging restraint among protesters. In a statement, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das expressed regret over the attack and extended support to the journalist. "We strongly condemn this violence against Dev. He is a fantastic reporter. No one should be resorting to such violence, no matter how much the police instigates them. Sorry brother Dev. We appeal for peace and calm," Das posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Times Now reporter Dev Kotak was assaulted by a large group of protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Tuesday, July 21, amid ongoing demonstrations. Kotak claimed that a mob of over 100 people attacked him while he was on the ground covering the protest. Amid the violence, some protesters intervened and formed a human chain around the journalist, helping him escape further harm. Kotak has been covering the CJP protest for over the last 20 days.
Speaking about the incident, Kotak described it as a near "mob lynching," alleging that he was repeatedly punched and hit by members of the crowd. "They kept hitting me, punching me throughout," he said, recounting the moments of chaos during the attack.
"I was reporting from the Jantar Mantar protest site. While I was doing my job, a group of protesters suddenly surrounded me. They started pushing me and pulling me. My shirt was ripped apart, and my jeans were also torn during the attack," Kotak said.
He was assaulted while reporting from the ground. "They tried to stop us from filming. They pushed me repeatedly and grabbed my clothes," he said. "There were slaps. There were kicks. There were punches, water bottles were thrown," Kotak recalled.
"They kept hitting me, punching me throughout as I tried to make my way... The top priority for me was to save my life and get out from there alive," he said. "The human shield protected me, pulled me up, and pushed me," he added. Kotak had interviewed the CJP leaders in the past and has been covering the agitation.
