The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to urgently hear a petition alleging excessive use of force by security personnel during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Sansad Chalo” march to Parliament, a day after clashes between protesters and police in the national capital.
While refusing an immediate hearing, the bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia orally remarked, “Don’t drag court into all this.” The court is now scheduled to hear the matter on Wednesday.
The petition was filed following Monday’s police action, during which security personnel used tear gas shells and carried out a lathi-charge to disperse protesters marching towards Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session.
CJP Alleges Excessive Force
The Cockroach Janta Party has accused the Delhi Police of using excessive force against protesters demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations.
The group also claimed that police fired pellet guns during the operation. Pellet guns are classified by the Union government as “non-lethal” crowd-control weapons, but their rubber or plastic pellets can cause serious injuries, particularly to the eyes, if fired from close range.
On Tuesday, the CJP further alleged that police personnel slapped a boy whom the organisation identified as a 10-year-old during the protest.
Delhi Police Denies Pellet Gun Use
Delhi Police rejected the allegations, stating that no pellet guns were used against the protesters.
The police maintained that demonstrators resorted to “large-scale violence,” including stone-pelting and vandalism of public property, forcing security personnel to take action to restore law and order.
According to the police, several personnel were injured during the clashes, while legal proceedings have been initiated against those allegedly involved in the violence.
Protests Continue Over NEET Issue
The CJP has been leading protests for several weeks over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, particularly the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. The movement has demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and greater accountability for examination-related failures.
The High Court is expected to hear the petition on Wednesday.
