Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters co-founder Matt Chitharanjan has publicly commended staff at one of the company’s Delhi outlets after they offered shelter and free drinking water to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters during demonstrations near Jantar Mantar.
The gesture gained widespread attention online after a user named Chitharanjan reshared a viral Instagram video highlighting the actions of employees at Blue Tokai’s Janpath outlet amid the ongoing protests.
Originally posted by Instagram user Gautham Subramaniam, the video showed staff refilling empty water bottles free of charge for people involved in the demonstrations. It also captured several protesters taking refuge inside the café, using the outlet as a safe space away from the crowds gathered outside.
Text overlaid on the video read: “A big up to Blue Tokai Janpath road, for giving people shelter and allowing everyone to refill their bottles for free during yesterday’s protest.”
Sharing the clip on his Instagram story, Chitharanjan praised the team’s response, writing: “So, so proud of our team for handling the violence and chaos so well. But I also wish that being decent to people wasn’t so rare that it gets celebrated.”
Image credit/Screengrab from Instagram @matt_chit
The incident took place against the backdrop of continuing protests centred around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where thousands of students and young people have assembled to demand accountability over repeated examination paper leaks.
The demonstrations have persisted despite police action, with volunteers helping to provide food, water, and medical assistance to those remaining at the protest site.
The movement has also attracted significant support from people unable to attend in person. Supporters from across the country have used food delivery platforms, including Zomato and Swiggy, to send meals, drinking water and other essential supplies directly to Jantar Mantar.
Volunteers have additionally distributed medical supplies, clothing, and first-aid items. At one point, organisers even appealed to supporters to stop sending more food after donations exceeded demand.