The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced a fresh youth mobilisation, a peaceful protest march in New Delhi on September 5, accusing the government of failing to honour commitments made to protesters on July 25. In a statement issued after a meeting of its National Working Committee, the group said it would organise a peaceful march from India Gate to the New Delhi Police Headquarters, led by families of deceased NEET victims and victims of alleged police brutality.
The CJP said the march would be joined by students and young citizens from across the country. It accused the government of delaying action on assurances given when the nationwide youth protests were withdrawn in good faith, and said its patience should not be mistaken for weakness.
According to the CJP, the government has failed to provide a written assurance promised to the organisation and has not clearly committed to withdrawing FIRs against protesters. The group also cited the Supreme Court proceedings on August 18, when the court indicated that it may quash FIRs against student protesters while excluding those with serious criminal antecedents. The court also decided to constitute a high-powered committee to examine allegations of police excesses during the protests.
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The CJP said the government should implement the commitments made on July 25 "in letter and spirit", arguing that protesters had withdrawn their nationwide agitation after receiving assurances from the government.
The organisation has called on students, youth organisations and student bodies to gather at India Gate on September 5. "KEEP YOUR WORD," the CJP said in its statement, describing the proposed mobilisation as a response to what it termed a possible "vishwasghaat" with Gen-Z and families who had lost their children.
What happened on July 25?
On July 25, the government agreed to key demands raised by the CJP and protesters, including the withdrawal of legal cases against protesters and assurances on other issues. The CJP subsequently announced the immediate withdrawal of its nationwide agitation in what it described as an act of good faith.
The development followed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, which had been a central demand of the CJP's campaign against alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The group celebrated the resignation as a victory for the student movement and said it demonstrated the impact of sustained youth mobilisation.
The Supreme Court subsequently clarified that governments could withdraw FIRs against NEET protesters who did not have antecedents involving grave and heinous offences. The court also indicated that more than 2,700 individuals accused of serious offences would remain outside the scope of such relief.
