Punjab students reach Delhi to join Jantar Mantar stir led by CJP, several detained
PTC News Desk: Around 200 students from different districts of Punjab reached Delhi on Saturday to join the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Jantar Mantar. However, several students were detained by police while marching towards the protest site.
According to student leaders, the detained students were taken to Suraj Mal Stadium and Rajiv Gandhi Stadium. Some were allegedly transported by bus to locations far from Delhi and dropped along the Sonepat road.
Ranbir Singh Randhawa, a leader of the group mobilised under the banners of the Punjab Students Union and Naujawan Bharat Sabha, said the students had spent the night at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib before leaving for Jantar Mantar on Saturday morning.
“Today, the Punjab Students Union and Naujawan Bharat Sabha initiated a march from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib towards Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. During the march, the police launched a baton charge against the youth and students, arresting hundreds of them and detaining them after converting Keshavpuram police station, Suraj Mal Stadium and Rajiv Gandhi Stadium into makeshift open prisons,” Randhawa said.
The students were desmanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Randhawa said hundreds of students and young people had been detained and efforts were being made to secure their release. Despite the cancellation of 75 trains, the students managed to reach Delhi by changing their tickets and routes. Some also travelled by sleeper buses.
“We came because we had decided that we had to reach,” said Punjab Students Union state president Ranbir Singh and Naujawan Bharat Sabha state vice-president Mangaljit Pandori. Both organisations are affiliated with the CPI(ML).
Student leaders said those detained included Naujawan Bharat Sabha general secretary Karamjit Maanuke, Naunihal Singh, Punjab Students Union general secretary Dheeraj Fazilka, Baljit Dharmkot, Gurdas Singh, Davinder Chabilpur, Harjinder Singh Khokhar, Harveer Kaur and Sukhpreet Kaur.
Randhawa added that around 20 women students were also among those detained.
- PTC NEWS
