CJP tells govt agreement being breached, threatens to resume protest

The detention of students and protesters in various states is in violation of the agreement between the Centre and CJP.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday said students and protesters were being detained or arrested in various states, particularly Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, in violation of the agreement with the Centre last week, and threatened to return to street protests if it didn’t stop.

CJP Spokesperson Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka along with senior advocate Kapil Sibal address a press conference over the FIRs registered against the student protesters in different states. (Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

The withdrawal of all cases and first information reports (FIRs) was part of the three conditions – the others being the resignation of former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and ₹1 crore compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide – involved in calling off the Jantar Mantar stir on Saturday.

To be sure, in the evening, Bihar announced that it will not take any legal action against people participating in protests before 6pm on July 26.

“Dear @JPNadda, @DrJitendraSingh ji, we are observing a complete breach of the agreement regarding no police action against the protestors…we demand that all the FIRs against the protestors be immediately withdrawn, students be released and no future FIRs be filed…failing which we will be forced to sit on protest again,” CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said.

“We also demand that the written agreement around legal cases be shared with us by tomorrow, the aligned timelines with the Government of India,” he added.

Later in the evening, Ranka and another spokesperson Saurav Das held a press conference with senior advocate Kapil Sibal. Ranka said that the government had assured them that all FIRs will be withdrawn and no future FIRs will be filed against protesters.

“We had shared the draft of this written agreement with JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. It was agreed upon that by Tuesday, the government will share the written agreement and lawyers from both sides will finalise it. We are waiting for this written agreement...We hope that words of senior cabinet ministers will be honored. If this does not happen by tomorrow and people are not released, the CJP will be forced to protest again,” he said.

During the meeting on Saturday, Union minister JP Nadda had said the CJP representatives came to the meeting with a written draft on cases filed during the July 20 agitation. “After the discussion, the first point was that no action should be taken and no FIRs should be filed. If any FIRs have already been registered, whether by the Delhi Police or in BJP-ruled states, it will be withdrawn,” Nadda had said.