Amid heavy security in New Delhi as Cockroach Janta Party’s Parliament march continues, Saurav Das, Chief Spokesperson of the group has confirmed that they are in talks with the Indian government.
He made the remarks while being taken to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. He said to news agency ANI, “We are in talks (with the government)”. Meanwhile, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned amid ruckus and protests by opposition MPs over various issues.
“Please remain seated. Cooperate in running the House,” Speaker Om Birla said before adjourning the House till noon.
This comes around an hour after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation ahead of the Monsoon Session and appealed to MPs for smooth functioning of the Parliament. In what is being seen as PM Modi’s message to politicians in support of protesters, he said, “May the spirit of that growth fuel our Parliament session. Where there is a strong argument, strong facts, there is no need for a storm (toofan). May every voice find space,” he said. In a message to MPs across party lines, he said, “”Be it the monsoon or the monsoon session, if both are proactive, they prove to be highly productive. And when both are productive, it leads to the welfare of the nation and the well-being of all living beings. That is why we pray that the monsoon remains both proactive and productive, and that the monsoon session proves productive as well.”
Additionally, Aam Aadmi Party leaders Atishi, Sanjay Singh and Manish Sisodia, Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad, TMC MP Mahua Moitra, Veteran actor Shabana Azmi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, actor-activist Prakash Raj joined the protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike
On the other side, activist Sonam Wangchuk said that he would end his indefinite hunger strike if the government took accountability for recent failures in the education system or if Members of Parliament (MPs) assured him that the issue would be raised in Parliament. The Safdarjung Hospital in a statement said it was “necessary” to keep Wangchuk under clinical monitoring to detect any health complications. Despite this, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a fresh appeal by Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo against a single bench order that refused to interfere with the treatment of her husband. The counsel appearing for Angmo mentioned the appeal — challenging the Sunday order — for urgent listing before a bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.
“Alright. Today,” the HC bench said. Meanwhile, All India Students’ Association (AISA) students at Jantar Mantar, who were on fast, called off the hunger strike after prominent civil society figures and opposition parliamentarians intervened