CJP announces NEET victims' families to lead Sept 5 Delhi Police HQ protest march

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced a fresh protest march in the national capital on September 5, to be led by families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide, alongside those who allege they were victims of police brutality during the outfit's earlier agitation. 

The announcement came after the CJP's National Working Committee convened on Monday, Aug 24 at 2 p.m. to review the government's compliance with commitments made a month ago.

The march is set to begin at India Gate and proceed to the New Delhi Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Marg, Connaught Place. According to the CJP, families who lost their children will walk at the front of the march, alongside those who allege they were victims of police brutality at Jantar Mantar. Students, youth organisations and "young citizens from across the country" have been invited to join.

Why will CJP protest again?

CJP Co-Convener Saurav Das and Legal Affairs Lead Ratna Singh said the government appeared to be attempting to "cheat the young generation of this country" after securing the withdrawal of the agitation on the basis of solemn commitments made at the joint press conference on July 25.

CJP's National Working Committee met on Monday to assess whether the Union government and BJP and NDA-ruled states had honoured those assurances, the terms under which the party's 36-day agitation at Jantar Mantar was called off. The committee concluded it had "serious doubts" the government intended to honour its word at all and accused the Centre of delaying action and avoiding clear commitments, including before the Supreme Court.

The party said Gen Z had trusted the July 25 promises and withdrew a nationwide movement in good faith. It went on to say its patience "cannot be mistaken for weakness," and that its good faith "cannot become an opportunity for the government to betray the young people of this country."

The FIR point

At the centre of CJP's grievance is the status of FIRs filed against students and protesters. On Aug 18, the Supreme Court asked the Union government to submit a consolidated list of such FIRs nationwide, so the cases could be considered for quashing together. CJP says the government has not given a clear commitment to do so and that a written assurance separately promised to the party is still pending.

Delhi Police said it had not received any formal request for permission for the Sept 5 march. "If we receive any request, we will review it accordingly," a police source said. No prohibitory orders or security arrangements for the proposed march have been announced so far.

Background

CJP called off its Jantar Mantar stir on July 25 after the government met all three demands: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, ₹1 crore compensation for NEET suicide victims' families and no action against July 20 protesters. The month-long agitation had drawn nationwide attention over NEET-linked student deaths and alleged police excesses during the July 20 "Chalo Sansad" march to Parliament.