CJP warns of fresh agitation over FIRs, detentions

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday warned that it will launch another agitation if all FIRs against student protestors are not withdrawn and all the detained are not released immediately.  Issuing this threat, the CJP said it was awaiting the Government’s promised written agreement on the withdrawal of criminal cases against protesters and organisers, and warned that it would be forced to resume its agitation if the assurance was not received by Tuesday.

The warning marks the biggest escalation in tensions between the two-month-old outfit and the Centre since the CJP called off its 49-day agitation following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Addressing a press conference, along with Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal, CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das on Monday raised concerns over the alleged detention and arrest of protesters and announced measures to provide legal support and preserve evidence from the student-led agitation. “In the third round of talks, we had agreed that all FIRs filed against protesters and organisers across the country would be withdrawn and no new FIR would be filed against any organiser and protester in future,” Ranka said.

He said the CJP had submitted a draft agreement to Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, and it was agreed that the Government would share a written agreement by Tuesday after legal consultations. 

“We are waiting for the Government to share the written agreement. We hope a senior Cabinet minister will honour the agreement and FIRs will be withdrawn, no protester or organiser would be harassed, and no cases would be filed in future,” he said.

Ranka said if the written agreement was not received by Tuesday and protesters and organisers arrested in connection with the agitation were not released, the outfit would be “forced to protest again”.

Ranka said the issue was discussed during the third round of talks with the Government before the 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar was called off on Friday.

“We demand that all the FIRs against the protestors be immediately withdrawn, students be released and no future FIRs be filed (in line with our agreement) by Delhi police / Central investigative agencies / Police in BJP-allied states, FAILING WHICH WE WILL BE FORCED TO SIT ON PROTEST AGAIN,” Ranka wrote on social media.

CJP spokespersons said they had remained in touch with Sibal and sought his legal guidance, particularly over concerns that protesters could face action after the withdrawal of the 36-day agitation. “From day one, legal and medical assistance has been provided to all the students, and coordination with lawyers has been ensured so that they receive support across the country,” Das said.

At a joint press conference, CJP spokespersons also introduced ‘Saakshi’, a website aimed at helping protesters and witnesses preserve photos and videos from demonstrations as evidence. The platform allows users to upload original protest footage and generates a cryptographic fingerprint for each file to create a tamper-evident record.