Solidarity demonstrations in support of the youth protests in central Delhi over alleged irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations continued across the country on Friday.

The protests began on June 6, when the Cockroach Janta Party political campaign began an agitation at Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the alleged mismanagement of national competitive exams.

On Sunday, thousands joined the protest in Delhi after the police forced activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike, into hospital. A march to Parliament on Monday was met with a brutal crackdown by the police. Dozens were injured by police lathis and had to brave tear gas.

The police action widened the support for the agitation, which soon spread to other parts of the country.

Amid the nationwide protests on Friday, three Muslim men were arrested in Assam for allegedly creating a WhatsApp group to mobilise support for the protests, while the police carried out a lathi-charge at a demonstration in Kolkata.

Assam

In Assam’s Lakhimpur district, the three men had created the WhatsApp group to mobilise support for the protests and allegedly urged members to create a “Nepal-like situation”, a senior police official told Scroll.

In September, youth-led anti-government protests were held in Nepal which led to violence and ended with the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

The three men were identified as Ashraful Islam, 21, Manjur Rahman, 23, and Abdul Kasem, 23.

They have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita pertaining to criminal conspiracy, criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty and offences related to endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

One of the arrested men told reporters that they had done nothing wrong and were being arrested only for creating the WhatsApp group. “We would have protested only if we were given permission,” he said.

West Bengal

In Kolkata, Left student organisations and members of the Cockroach Janta Party held a rally from Sealdah to Esplanade demanding Pradhan’s resignation, the dissolution of the National Testing Agency and action over the police crackdown in Delhi, The Telegraph reported.

Later in the evening, clashes broke out after some protesters blocked the Dorina Crossing intersection, PTI reported.

Protesters allegedly threw shoes and water bottles at the police, who responded with a lathi-charge and tear gas, the news agency quoted an unidenitified police officer as saying.

Maharashtra and Goa

The Cockroach Janata Party’s protest in Pune drew a large crowd which marched from the historical fort, Shaniwarwada, to the collector’s office despite steady spells of heavy rainfall. Students and supporters carried placards mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pradhan and shouted slogans against both. There was heavy police deployment along the route as well.

Some of the protesters also submitted a memorandum to the district administration, Divya Marathi reported.

Credit: Divya Aslesha/Scroll

Student towns

Demonstrations were also held in Rajasthan’s Kota, a major coaching hub, and in the university town of Manipal in Karnataka.

Written by Sara Varghese. Inputs from Rokibuz Zaman and Divya Aslesha. Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.