Five police personnel injured as clashes erupt near Park Hotel; Jantar Mantar protest site stays calm even as authorities suspend internet in central Delhi
Fresh unrest gripped parts of central Delhi on Wednesday as the demonstration led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spilled beyond its designated site at Jantar Mantar, triggering violent clashes with security forces along the Sansad Marg stretch.
While the main protest venue remained largely peaceful, the situation turned volatile near Park Hotel, where an agitated crowd allegedly pelted stones at police personnel, chasing some down the radial road leading into Connaught Place. Security forces responded with tear gas shells to disperse the surging protesters.
Delhi Police confirmed five personnel were hurt in the melee, including two Assistant Commissioners of Police, an inspector, a head constable, and a constable. At one point, officers were seen retreating without visible backup near the Tolstoy Marg entrance, though paramilitary reinforcements in riot gear soon moved in.
To defuse tensions, authorities brought in CJP volunteers to appeal for calm, with one demonstrator seen addressing the crowd through a loudspeaker mounted atop a police vehicle, urging protesters to sit down and stop sloganeering.
As a precautionary step, internet services were suspended across parts of central Delhi on government orders, with telecom users receiving alerts about the shutdown. Barricades, RPF personnel, and riot-control vehicles were deployed to seal off the Sansad Marg approach to Jantar Mantar.
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