CJP seeks written assurance on protesters' release, warns of fresh agitation

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday demanded the immediate release of protesters arrested during its nationwide agitation over the NEET paper leak and the withdrawal of all FIRs filed against them, warning that it would resume protests if the Centre failed to honour its assurances in writing. Hours after the party issued the warning, CJP leaders said government representatives met them and reiterated that guarantee notifications from the Union government and BJP/NDA-ruled states would be issued by Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the issue was discussed during the third round of talks with the Centre on July 25, before the party called off its 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar. Ranka said the government had agreed to withdraw all FIRs registered against protesters and organisers across the country and ensure that no fresh cases would be filed.

"We 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 version after legal consultations by Tuesday. We are waiting for that assurance," he said. He warned that if the written agreement was not received by Tuesday and those arrested in connection with the protests were not released, the CJP would be "forced to protest again".

In a post on X, Ranka accused the government of violating the understanding by allowing police action against protesters even after the agitation was withdrawn. He claimed that hundreds of students had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while volunteers and supporters were allegedly being detained or harassed in Delhi and other states.

Tagging Nadda and Singh, he demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs, the release of arrested students and a written assurance that no future cases would be filed by the Delhi Police, central agencies or police forces in BJP-ruled or BJP-allied states.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who also addressed the press conference, announced a ₹1 crore contribution towards legal aid for students facing criminal cases linked to the protests. "It was an organic movement. We don't want action to be taken against students who protested," Sibal said.

He said the CJP would create a nationwide network of lawyers willing to represent students and protesters free of cost. A dedicated website would allow lawyers from across the country to register and offer legal assistance.

Alleging that protesters were being selectively targeted after the agitation ended, Sibal claimed police were using facial recognition technology to identify participants and cautioned against attempts to communalise the issue.
"My role is to support this legally from outside," he said.

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the organisation had withdrawn its agitation in "good faith" after the government accepted its principal demands and agreed to implement the remaining ones within a mutually agreed timeline.

He said the party had remained in touch with Sibal before and after ending the protest to ensure that participants were not subjected to legal harassment. "We believed the government might target people individually once the protest ended. CJP has been providing legal and medical assistance to students from day one and sought Mr Sibal's guidance," Das said.

He also announced the launch of a nationwide portal to connect students with lawyers willing to provide legal aid. Another portal, named Sakshi, has been launched to collect videos, photographs and testimonies relating to alleged police excesses during the protests.

"Police officers and Rapid Action Force personnel who assaulted protesters will be held accountable. Those with videos or photographs can upload them to the portal, and our legal team will pursue the matter," Das said.

CJP spokesperson Ratna Singh, introduced as the party's legal point of contact, said lawyers were already assisting detained protesters in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar. She alleged that 11 people had been arrested in Kolkata, 10 of them Muslims, and claimed stringent provisions, including the Goonda Act, were likely to be invoked. She also alleged police brutality against protesters in Patna, Siwan and Chhapra in Bihar, claiming that attempt to murder charges had been invoked and around 5,000 unnamed persons had been booked.

Hours after the press conference, Das posted on X that government representatives met CJP leaders for another round of talks lasting two to three hours. He said they shared copies of notifications issued by the Bihar and Assam governments, which, according to him, guarantee the withdrawal of FIRs, no future action against protesters and the release of all detainees and those arrested during the agitation.

Das added that the government representatives had reiterated their promise to issue similar guarantee notifications from the Union government and other BJP- and NDA-ruled states by Tuesday, using the language agreed upon during the negotiations. "No protester will be left alone. We are all in this together," he wrote.

The CJP ended its 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday after the Centre accepted its key demands, including the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, withdrawal of FIRs, an assurance against retaliatory action and a commitment to consider broader examination reforms. The government had also agreed to share a written draft of the understanding by Tuesday following legal consultations.

This structure keeps the story updated without undermining the earlier conflict, while clearly indicating that the late-night development is based on Das's account.