Protests Over Education Minister: Reports of Detentions and Social Media Takedowns Continue
New Delhi: The fallout from nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continues, with fresh reports of detentions, arrests, and social media content removal.
A 21-year-old man, detained in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, after being identified from a protest photograph on July 26, was released on July 29. He alleged he was beaten in custody and falsely accused of vandalising a vehicle belonging to a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member. He stated he was only present to protest and was held for over a day.
The Prayagraj Police registered three First Information Reports (FIRs) on July 26 and 27 at the Civil Lines police station regarding alleged vehicle vandalism. Two complaints were from BJP members, and the third from the son of a former BJP MP. A police official speaking for Deputy Commissioner Manish Kumar Shandilya said no one had been detained; individuals were called for questioning based on CCTV footage and subsequently released. Ten others have been arrested in connection with the case.
In Bihar, Rishav Ranjan of the Congress party's legal cell reported that a 17-year-old boy from Bhagalpur was detained from his home at 3:45 a.m. on July 26 after participating in a protest on July 25. The juvenile was among 40 others detained or arrested after protests turned violent. Atulesh Jha, Superintendent of Police, Bhagalpur City, confirmed the juvenile was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) and that the family was informed. He added that the government is withdrawing cases related to the violence, and all arrested individuals are being released. The police are also withdrawing photographs of 155 people released based on CCTV footage, identifying those allegedly involved in violence.
On social media, Instagram users reported that videos related to the July 20 protests were being removed. Akshay Chandra Madhav, a user, claimed several of his videos depicting “violence and brutality” were deleted by the platform.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) called off its 36-day strike on July 25 after the central government agreed to three demands: removal of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister, compensation for families of those who died by suicide after the NEET cancellation on May 3, and withdrawal of FIRs against protesters with an assurance of no future action. The CJP warned that agitation would resume if police harassment of students continues.
