Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar
has called for a statewide bandh in Maharashtra on July 23, protesting against the Centre’s education policies and the alleged police action against students and supporters during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led agitation in New Delhi, reported the PTI.Addressing reporters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Ambedkar appealed to people across the state to participate in the bandh.
Ambedkar alleged that the Union government was discouraging education because it promotes awareness and critical thinking among young people.He claimed that the country’s education system was facing serious issues and alleged that corruption within the system had been exposed, as per the PTI.
According to Ambedkar, the proposed bandh is intended to draw attention to these concerns and demand greater accountability.
The police action
The VBA leader also criticised the police response to the CJP protests in Delhi on Monday.
He alleged that police used excessive force against protesters, including students, during the demonstrations. Ambedkar further claimed that pellet guns were used to disperse protesters, describing such action as being contrary to United Nations advisories, according to the PTI.
Ambedkar said he had not discussed the proposed statewide bandh with any other political leaders in Maharashtra before making the announcement.
The bandh
The call for a bandh comes a day after clashes broke out in Delhi during the CJP’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, organised to demand accountability over alleged examination irregularities and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The protests have since spread to several cities in Maharashtra, where political parties, students and activists have held demonstrations in solidarity with the movement, the news agency reported.
Raj Thackeray backs student’s protests
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday criticised the Centre over the police action against protesters during the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ‘Sansad Chalo’ march in New Delhi, as Mumbai witnessed a second consecutive day of demonstrations in support of the student-led movement.
Thousands of protesters had gathered in Delhi on Monday demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET examination irregularities. The march ended in clashes after police stopped protesters from moving towards Parliament.
In a post on X, Raj Thackeray questioned why the government was protecting the education minister despite growing public anger.
He said the police crackdown on peaceful protesters suggested that the government itself had become “mentally unstable” and accused those in power of suppressing democratic protests instead of addressing students’ concerns.
Thackeray also referred to the handling of the Manipur violence, alleging that the Centre had similarly protected political leaders despite public criticism.
(with PTI inputs)”
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