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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Rallies across state back CJP

Several protesters gathered at Dadar, Mumbai, on Monday in support of CJP's Delhi protest. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Endorsing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s massive agitation near the Parliament in New Delhi, lakhs of youth, students and social organizations took to the streets with angry protests, marches and demonstrations almost all over Maharashtra on Monday. Opposition parties in the state including the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and...

Rallies across state back CJP

Several protesters gathered at Dadar, Mumbai, on Monday in support of CJP's Delhi protest. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Endorsing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s massive agitation near the Parliament in New Delhi, lakhs of youth, students and social organizations took to the streets with angry protests, marches and demonstrations almost all over Maharashtra on Monday. Opposition parties in the state including the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (UBT), along with other smaller outfits either voluntarily joined the protestors or wholeheartedly supported them. The political parties expressed full solidarity with the CJP, flayed the forced hospitalization of environment activist Sonam Wangchuk and expressed anger at the purported undermining of major public examinations beset with multiple leaks of question papers in recent years. The demonstrations attracted thousands of collegians, unemployed youngsters, professionals like lawyers, social activists, civil society members, farmers and others, including a large number of women, as the local police deployed strict security to prevent any untoward incidents. The protestors, carrying banners, placards, the National Tricolour and in some places, copies of the Constitution marched or assembled at various central locations in different cities, including Dadar in Mumbai, respective district headquarters since morning, braving showers or heavy rains in many areas. They ranted anti-government slogans, vociferously demanded the resignation of the Union Education Minister of India Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking what they termed as ‘accountability by those holding public offices’, ‘transparency’, ‘safeguarding their democratic rights’ and ‘mutual dialogue’ to resolve such contentious issues. In some districts, the gatherings also condemned the forcible eviction of Wangchuk to a government hospital two days ago, and lashed out the Delhi Police for lobbing teargas shells and mild lathi-charge on the protestors who reached very close to the Parliament – where the Monsoon Session 2026 opened on Monday. Constitutional Rights Speakers at the venues accused the government of allegedly suppressing the Constitutional right to peaceful protests through high-handed means, warning it could deepen public resentment rather than solving the problems the masses raised. Though the emotionally-charged protests in the state remained largely disciplined and peaceful, in some places like Mumbai, a few demonstrators were detained in the afternoon for not adhering to police directives. In Mumbai, the participants included mostly students, young professionals, retired citizens and civil society groups, while the district-level rallies elsewhere drew significant presence of the local youth, farmers organisations and social activists. The vigorous campaigns were carried out in the capital Mumbai and second capital Nagpur, besides Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nandurbar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati, Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Jalna, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Bhandara, Washim, Yavatmal and Buldhana. Thackeray slams Centre Ex-Chief Minister and SS (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray took potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government saying “they can hold talks with Pakistan, but not our youth”. His party MP Sanjay Raut alleged that ‘one word’ by a top judge had sparked a nationwide unrest for the past two months, igniting the youth to question the BJP governments at the Centre and in states. Many irate youngsters told the media that the exam reforms centric campaign has now transformed into a broader nationwide movement for debates on civil liberties, dissent and democratic rights of the citizens, and they would continue till their aims are achieved. Hundreds gather in Nagpur to support CJP Hundreds of students, youth and senior citizens staged an agitation in Nagpur on Monday in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janta Party's protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Chanting anti-government slogans over alleged exam paper leaks, angry demonstrators, including students and senior citizens, gathered at Samvidhan Square and vowed to press ahead with their agitation until the education minister steps down. Protesters expressed outrage over the forcible removal of Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar in the national capital and the lathi-charge on students during their march to Parliament. Holding placards, banners and photos of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, demonstrators gathered at the site amid heavy police deployment. One of the young demonstrators said that their agitation will continue till the education minister resigns.

Systemic Stonewalling

The Supreme Court of India was compelled to do what Maharashtra’s government ought to have, but has not done so far. The Apex Court has directed the Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged custodial killing of 23-year-old Akshay Shinde. Shinde, the prime accused in the sexual assault of two kindergarten girls in Badlapur, later died in mysterious circumstances, believed to be killed in a police encounter last September. The apex court's intervention came only after the Bombay High Court uncovered glaring inconsistencies in the official account and a disturbing reluctance by the state to even file an FIR.


That such a basic demand for an independent investigation had to climb the judicial ladder speaks volumes about the rot in Maharashtra’s policing and politics. The state had appealed the High Court’s earlier directive to appoint an SIT under the supervision of a named officer, arguing instead that the DGP should have the prerogative.


The answer lies in who gets to pick the investigators. The court ultimately let the DGP select the SIT members, giving the state what it wanted but exposing its true priority: control over the process. The Mahayuti coalition government with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also Home Minister, has shown a consistent pattern of setting up SITs that appear to act, but achieve nothing.


Since 2022, over 20 SITs have been formed under Fadnavis’s tenure. Not one has delivered anything of substance. They are a bureaucratic performance dressed up as justice.


The facts around Shinde’s death suggest that vigilance is sorely needed. Police claim he snatched a revolver and fired at officers before being killed in ‘retaliatory firing.’ But a magisterial inquiry and forensic evidence have raised serious doubts. The High Court found the official narrative suspicious and CID’s refusal to file an FIR unacceptable. Shinde’s parents, initially willing to pursue justice, have since expressed reluctance which speaks either of intimidation or exhaustion.


The backdrop to this is even more sordid. Shinde was at the centre of a scandal that touched not only him but also the management of the school where the abuse took place. The initial police response was sluggish, if not actively obstructive, until public protests forced the authorities to act. When the case began to implicate more than just a lone suspect, the most explosive witness conveniently died. That the government then balked at an independent SIT only deepens suspicions.


The eagerness of the Fadnavis-led government to control the terms of investigation, rather than enable transparency, belies its claims of uprightness. Whether the SIT walks through it, or quietly tiptoes around uncomfortable truths will depend not just on who serves on it but whether anyone has the courage to stand up to the system. It is not a good sign for democracy when the Supreme Court must parent a government that seemingly fears the truth.

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