The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Condemn Police Violence on Peaceful Protesters
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) congratulates the thousands of students and young people who gathered at Jantar Mantar for a historic march to Parliament at the call of the Cockroach Janata Party and supported by student organisations. The huge gathering gave a befitting answer to the dictatorial approach of the Modi government to the over a month long struggle calling for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan on the principle of accountability.
The Polit Bureau strongly condemns the brutal lathicharge and teargasing of peaceful protesters gathered in and around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar today.
Several students, youth and others have been injured, some seriously, owing to the ferocious attacks carried out by the police on the protesters at the behest of the Union Home Ministry. Lathicharge and teargasing also took place in front of the CPI(M) headquarters in Gole Market.
People, especially students and youth, had assembled in large numbers responding to the call for a March to Parliament, given the adamant refusal of the Modi government to fix responsibility for paper leaks and disband the National Testing Agency that conducts the NEET exams. The BJP government has refused to heed to the demands raised in the month long protests across the country that saw huge participation, support and solidarity, cutting across large sections of the populace.
The hunger strike and today’s police action has acted as a trigger for protest actions across the country. The paranoid government instead of being accountable on the growing mess in education and the pathetic situation of unemployment had refused to have a dialogue with the protesters.
The CPI(M) would like to warn the Union government that such repressive measures cannot suppress the growing anger and frustration of the people, especially the youth, against the BJP government’s policies.
The Polit Bureau demands that the Modi government immediately concede their demands. Dharmendra Pradhan must go. The NTA should be disbanded. All those arrested should be released immediately.