CJP Threatens Renewed Agitation Over Alleged Police Harassment of Student Protesters

Unfilled Promises and Potential Escalation

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), issued a sharp warning to the Union government on Tuesday, demanding an end to the alleged harassment of student activists. Dipke stated via social media that the police must cease what he described as a witch-hunt against students. He signaled that any continued targeting by law enforcement would trigger a large-scale peaceful protest in the immediate future.

This friction arises just days after the CJP suspended its 36-day agitation on July 25. The cessation of the protest followed an agreement with the Centre addressing three specific demands:

• The removal of Dharmendra Pradhan from his post as Union Education Minister.
• Financial compensation for families of students who committed suicide following the May 3 NEET cancellation.
• The cancellation of all First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against protesters, alongside a guarantee of no future legal retaliation.

Discrepancies in Legal Withdrawal

Administrative responses to the agreement vary significantly across regional borders. The Bihar government confirmed it retracted FIRs filed prior to 6 p.m. on July 26, with West Bengal and Assam implementing similar measures. However, a vacuum of information persists in the national capital. Delhi Police public relations officials declined to comment on the status of the cases, while Sachin Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police for New Delhi, confirmed his department has no official orders to withdraw existing charges.

Records indicate that authorities in the South East district registered 14 FIRs and detained approximately 600 individuals during the period when prohibitory orders were in effect. While those detained were eventually released and no arrests have been made, the legal cloud remains over the participants.

Concerns Over Judicial Weaponization

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das voiced alarm regarding a Tuesday Supreme Court directive. The Bench, presided over by Chief Justice Surya Kant, gave state authorities the green light to continue investigations into FIRs linked to the protests. Das characterized this move as a potential tool for the government and BJP-led administrations to target peaceful dissenters.

According to Das, the government failed to honor a commitment to provide a written assurance of their agreement by Tuesday night. He noted that while officials met him to discuss the court's recent order, they have provided no further response to his formal objections regarding the continued legal pressure on student protesters.

Source: The Hindu — Cities