The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday announced a protest march in Delhi on September 5, accusing the Centre of failing to fulfil commitments made on July 25 that led the outfit to call off its 36-day agitation over alleged examination irregularities.
The march, scheduled for Teachers' Day, will begin at India Gate and proceed towards the Delhi Police Headquarters, the CJP said in a statement.
According to the outfit, the march will be led by families of students who died by suicide following the cancellation and subsequent re-test of the NEET examination, along with those who were allegedly subjected to police excesses during the July agitation.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the CJP National Working Committee on Monday, a month after the organisation suspended its agitation following talks with the Centre.
"Our patience cannot be mistaken for weakness. Our good faith cannot become an opportunity for the government to betray the young people of this country," the CJP said.
The CJP began its agitation at Jantar Mantar on June 20 over alleged irregularities in the examination system and the NEET paper leak. The protest subsequently spread to other parts of the country.
On July 20, a CJP-led march towards Parliament turned chaotic after police action against protesters, with scores of people reportedly injured.
The agitation was called off on July 25 after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government, following negotiations with CJP representatives, agreed to several of the outfit's demands, including compensation for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and withdrawal of FIRs registered against protesters.
The two sides had also agreed to hold further discussions on broader examination reforms.
CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka announced the withdrawal of the agitation at a joint press conference with Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh. They said the protest was being called off in "good faith" on the understanding that the agreed commitments would be implemented within the stipulated timeline.
The outfit has since repeatedly accused the Centre of delaying action, particularly on the withdrawal of FIRs and assurances concerning protection of protesters from punitive action.
The issue also reached the Supreme Court. During a hearing on August 18, the CJP accused the Centre of resisting efforts to facilitate the quashing of FIRs against students and protesters. It had warned that failure to make concrete progress on the commitments made on July 25 could trigger renewed nationwide action.
In its statement on Monday, the CJP alleged that the government had "delayed action, hidden behind technicalities and avoided giving clear commitments". It also claimed that a written assurance promised by the Centre was yet to be provided.
"A government cannot take the trust of an entire generation, use it to send young people home, and then quietly retreat from its own word. We will not accept this betrayal," the outfit said.
The CJP appealed to students, youth organisations and young people across the country to participate in the September 5 march, while maintaining that the protest would remain peaceful.
"The families who lost their children will walk at the front. Victims of police brutality will walk beside them. Behind them will walk a generation demanding only one thing from its government: Keep your word," it said.
(With inputs from PTI)