Delhi Police Refutes Violence Claims at CJP Protest

On Monday the Delhi Police took to X to push back against a flurry of social‑media posts that suggested the police had used force and made arrests during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar. The statement was blunt: “No such incident has taken place; the protest is being handled professionally.”

Officials also asked the public not to “fall prey to any rumor” and to cooperate with police in keeping peace around the site. It’s a classic call‑for‑calm, but the backdrop is a bit more tangled.

Earlier in the day, the police had employed a mild lathi charge to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who were trying to push toward Parliament House. The demonstration, which kicked off at Jantar Mantar, quickly snarled traffic across the capital and prompted a visible deployment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) along Raisina Road, Parliament Street and the protest arena itself.

Adding to the complexity, Delhi’s authorities reminded citizens that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (the modern counterpart of the old Section 144 of the CrPC) remain in effect across the New Delhi district. In plain language, any public march, procession or gathering of five or more people is barred – except for authorised protests at Jantar Mantar, which require prior permission.

All of this comes as the Monsoon Session of Parliament began on July 20. The police forewarned that anyone flouting the prohibitory orders could face prosecution under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and any other relevant statutes.

While the police narrative emphasizes “professional handling,” the earlier lathi charge and the heavy security presence have kept the episode alive in the public eye. Whether the situation will stay calm or flare up again may depend on how tightly the authorities enforce the new legal provisions and how the protesters choose to respond.