The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has threatened to restart its protest as early as Tuesday, alleging that the government has failed to uphold commitments made during negotiations over police action against students and demonstrators.
The movement, led by Abhijeet Dipke, had ended its 37-day demonstration at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the weekend after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. The resignation was among the group's key demands, and the CJP said it had suspended the agitation in the spirit of the understanding reached with the government.
However, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka has now alleged that the agreement concerning legal action against protesters has not been followed. In a post on X, he claimed that students had been detained in Bihar and West Bengal, while protesters and supporters were allegedly being monitored or harassed in Delhi and other parts of the country.
Ranka also raised concerns about volunteers who, according to him, were detained in the national capital while assisting protesters with logistical arrangements.
The CJP has called on BJP president JP Nadda and Union minister Jitendra Singh, who participated in discussions with the protest group, to intervene. The organisation has demanded that all cases registered against demonstrators be cancelled and that detained students be freed.
The group has further insisted that no fresh criminal cases should be initiated against protesters by Delhi Police, central investigative agencies or police forces in states governed by BJP allies. It warned that failure to meet these demands could force it to return to the streets.
The CJP has also sought a written copy of the understanding reached during negotiations, particularly the portion dealing with criminal cases. It wants the document to be provided by Tuesday.
During the third meeting between the government and the protest group at Constitution Club on Saturday, the CJP said the Centre had agreed to provide appropriate financial assistance to the families of NEET candidates who died by suicide. The group also claimed that the government had assured it that FIRs registered against protesters across the country would be withdrawn.
The organisation had submitted a five-point list of demands during the talks, with the next round of discussions expected to take place after four weeks.
The dispute over police action follows the July 20 'Chalo Sansad' march, after which several cases were reportedly registered against demonstrators in different parts of the country. The CJP had made the withdrawal of these cases and a commitment against future legal action central to its demands.
The controversy has also coincided with observations from the Supreme Court on Monday regarding the handling of public demonstrations. The court said authorities cannot automatically justify police excesses or the use of batons simply because a protest is taking place, reiterating that peaceful assembly is a constitutionally protected right.
Tensions escalated in Delhi on July 20 when protesters attempted to move from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament. Police used tear gas and batons to stop the march, resulting in clashes and multiple detentions.
The confrontation has since spilled into Parliament, where Opposition members disrupted proceedings while seeking answers from the government over the police response to the demonstrations.
Amid the political uproar, the government proceeded with the introduction of a Bill in the Lok Sabha proposing stricter punishment for examination paper leaks.