CJP Says Protestors Being Identified, Assaulted; Threatens To Restart Agitation

India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the youth-led movement whose nationwide protests over exam paper leaks forced the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has accused the Narendra Modi government of reneging on its assurance not to take action against student protesters and warned it could restart demonstrations if police harassment continues.

The warning came after the Supreme Court directed states to release all detained students below the age of 18 and those without criminal antecedents who were arrested during the nationwide protests. The court also ordered that no coercive action be taken in FIRs linked to the CJP-led protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and in other states, while allowing existing investigations to continue.

In a statement on July 28, the CJP said part of the court’s interim order had raised concerns because it permits governments to continue pursuing existing FIRs. The group argued that this was inconsistent with what it said was the Centre’s July 25 assurance that cases against peaceful protesters would be withdrawn and that students would not face direct or indirect punitive action.

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the organization would return to the streets if police action against students continued.

“If the harassment of students at the hands of the police continues, the Cockroach Janta Party will respond with a massive peaceful protest soon. The Government must stop targeting and witch-hunting students,” Dipke said in a social media post.

The CJP also maintained that the Supreme Court had not directed governments to continue prosecutions and said state governments still had the authority to withdraw cases or decide not to pursue action against peaceful protesters, citing Bihar and Assam as examples.

National spokesperson Saurav Das said the movement had established a legal fund to assist protesters facing criminal cases. According to the CJP, at least 100 people have been arrested during the protests, many under non-bailable charges.

The renewed warning comes days after multiple videos surfaced on social media allegedly showing protesters being assaulted following the conclusion of the demonstrations.

One widely circulated video showed a right-wing activist assaulting two men who had participated in the protests. Additional clips have since emerged that supporters of the movement described as retaliation against demonstrators.

The CJP and its supporters have also alleged online intimidation. Several social media accounts sympathetic to the ruling party shared photographs and videos of women and student protesters while calling for their arrest and tagging police authorities in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. (with NDTV and Indian media reports)