The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday said it would launch a fresh nationwide agitation if the government did not fulfil its assurance of withdrawing FIRs against demonstrators and refraining from punitive measures, alleging that the Supreme Court’s recent interim order could be misused against students.
The outfit said it would not withdraw a fresh agitation until "full accountability" was ensured and urged Parliament to debate the alleged police brutality during the July 20 protest, including fixing responsibility "not just of the police but also of the home minister".
Speaking to PTI Videos, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said government representatives informed the outfit during talks on Tuesday that the matter had become "sub judice" following the Supreme Court's interim order and they had not yet provided the promised written assurance.
"They are now using that order and wanting to go back on the guarantees that they gave to the youth of this country. If the government does not honour its word and the agreements, we will be forced to again call for a big protest, not just in Delhi but nationwide," Das said.
"This time, when the young of this country come out in support of fellow young people who are being targeted, they will not go back until full accountability is secured," he said.
Das welcomed discussions on strengthening laws against examination malpractices but insisted that Parliament must also address the alleged police actions during the July 20 protest.
"I hope Parliament also discusses the police brutality that took place on July 20, how heads were broken, how people were blinded through pellet guns. Accountability needs to be fixed not just of the police but also of the home minister who was overseeing all of this in Delhi," he said.
Describing the proposed fast-track courts for examination-related offences as "a band-aid measure", Das said the system required structural reforms rather than isolated legislative changes.
"The system needs to holistically change. Accountability needs to be fixed," he said.
Speaking to PTI in Jaipur, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Rana said it was "a matter of shame" that the government had failed to act on the assurances it made earlier.
"There was a clear assurance on July 25 that the FIRs would be withdrawn and that no fresh FIRs would be registered in future. If the word of a Union minister has no value, then we do not know whose word has value," he said.
Rana demanded that the government honour the July 25 agreement and provide a written commitment on the withdrawal of all FIRs as well as an assurance that no new FIRs would be lodged.
"We demand that the government honour the July 25 agreement, give us a written agreement, withdraw all FIRs and ensure that no further FIRs are filed. If this does not happen, we will be compelled to launch an agitation again," he said.
Responding to BJP MP and actor Kangana Ranaut's alleged "gutter generation" remark, Rana said, "Yes, we are the gutter generation. Coming out of the gutter, the cockroach movement got a minister to resign."
Additionally, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who is currently undergoing treatment for typhoid, alleged in a post on X that students continued to face harassment by the police and warned of a "massive peaceful protest" if such action did not stop.
"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 statement, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said Direction No 4 in the apex court's interim order in a batch of PILs related to the CJP protest, which permits governments to proceed with existing FIRs and investigations, was contrary to the assurances given by the Centre during talks that led to the end of the 36-day agitation.
"This direction stands in direct contradiction to the solemn assurance and guarantee extended by the Government of India to the youth of this nation on July 25, namely, that the FIRs would be withdrawn and that no protester would be directly or indirectly targeted for participating in the peaceful movement," Das said.
He said the CJP had withdrawn its nationwide protest "in complete good faith" based on the government's assurances and alleged there was now a "credible apprehension" that the Centre and BJP-ruled states could use the court's order to continue cases against individual protesters.
Das also questioned why the government's lawyers had not opposed the interim order despite being aware that discussions with the CJP had continued until late on Monday and that an agreement had already been reached on July 25.
"The court's uninformed order is therefore wholly unacceptable," he said.
Maintaining that the Supreme Court had not directed governments to continue the FIRs, Das said the executive still retained the power to withdraw cases or decide not to pursue them and urged the Centre not to cite the order as a reason for reneging on its commitments.
He demanded that the Centre and the concerned BJP/NDA-ruled state governments place the terms of the July 25 assurance before the Supreme Court in the pending proceedings "so that there is complete transparency regarding the commitments already made to the youth of this country".
Das said the deadline for the government to fulfil its assurances expired on Tuesday and reiterated the CJP's demands for withdrawing FIRs, protection against future punitive action and implementation of the assurances "in both letter and spirit".
"Failing this... the Cockroach Janta Party will have no option but to resume its nationwide protest to protect the students and young protesters," he said.
The CJP on Saturday called off its 36-day agitation at Jantar Mantar after announcing that the government had accepted its key demands, including the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, withdrawal of FIRs, an assurance against retaliatory action and a commitment to consider broader examination reforms.
On Monday, the outfit sought immediate release of arrested protesters, withdrawal of all criminal cases and a written assurance that no fresh FIRs would be registered, warning that it would resume its agitation if the commitments were not honoured.
(With inputs from PTI)
