CJP protest: Anna Hazare holds 'maun andolan' in support of protesting students

Social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday staged a two-hour maun andolan (silent protest) in Maharashtra's Ahilyanagar to show support for students protesting in Delhi.

Hazare began his protest at 11 am at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Ahilyanagar and concluded it at 1 pm. He then left for his village, Ralegan Siddhi, in the same district.

A day earlier, Hazare had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "the news of…violence and police action…is extremely painful".

In his letter, he said the anger among the protesters should be seen "not as a law and order problem, but as the agony and expectations of society".

Hazare also wrote that if Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is asked to resign, "it will not cause the government to fall; rather, it will…make its functioning more accountable and effective".

He urged the government to "listen to (the protesters) patiently, create an atmosphere of trust, and find solutions through positive dialogue".

Speaking to reporters after the protest, Hazare said he wrote to the Prime Minister because he is "the supreme leader and should be apprised of people's issues".

Highlights of the CJP protest:

Security remained tight in and around Jantar Mantar on Thursday, with authorities directing shops, offices and restaurants in Connaught Place to close by 6.30 pm, citing a "critical situation" in and around the commercial hub.

A heavy police presence was deployed at the protest site, a day after fresh clashes erupted during the ongoing agitation led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said 16 metro stations would remain closed from 7.30 am until further notice. These include Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, Central Secretariat and Supreme Court stations. The DMRC had also shut the same 16 stations on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the CJP alleged that the Delhi Police had parked a “totally damaged car” outside the protest site and questioned the force's intentions. Sharing visuals of the vehicle, which had shattered windows and a broken windscreen, the organisation said, “Everyone should remember this car has been brought here in this condition - important to record before they can blame it on peaceful protesters.”

Although the protest site remained largely peaceful on Wednesday, violence broke out on Sansad Marg after demonstrators moved onto the road. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, while some protesters allegedly threw stones at security personnel and chased them along Connaught Place's main radial road. According to the Delhi Police, at least five personnel — two ACPs, one inspector, one head constable and one constable — were injured in the clashes.

The CJP also claimed on Wednesday that internet services had been suspended around Jantar Mantar and questioned whether the government was preparing for another police action. “Internet service shutdown at Jantar Mantar. Govt planning another brutal crackdown?” CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke wrote in a post on X.

In a separate post, Dipke urged police and paramilitary personnel not to “obey ilegal orders that ask you to beat up innocent protesters.”

(With inputs from news agency PTI)