Delhi Police have strengthened security arrangements at Jantar Mantar after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) warned that it would revive its nationwide agitation unless all criminal cases registered against protesters are withdrawn.
The heightened security measures come days after the CJP alleged that the Centre had failed to honour assurances given at the end of its protest and accused authorities of continuing legal action against participants.
Visuals from Jantar Mantar showed authorities welding metal barricades together on both sides of the protest site to prevent them from being removed or breached during any future demonstrations. Additional personnel from the Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and other security agencies have also been deployed in and around the area.
The CJP, which had staged a 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy, ended its agitation on July 25 after Pradhan stepped down from the post.
However, the organisation has now accused the government of violating the understanding reached at the time of ending the protest. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka claimed that students continue to face arrests and criminal cases, particularly in BJP-ruled states, despite assurances that no punitive action would be taken.
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The party has demanded the withdrawal of all FIRs registered against protesters, the release of those detained, a halt to fresh criminal cases by Delhi Police, central agencies and police forces in BJP-ruled states, and the public release of the written agreement reached with the government.
Speaking after returning to his hometown in Maharashtra, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that the government was forcing the organisation to resume its agitation.
“The government is compelling us to launch another protest. It should stop targeting students. Their anger was never directed at just one minister but at the government as a whole. If the government does not respond, the students will,” Dipke said.
The CJP has also announced the creation of a nationwide legal aid cell and launched an online platform, SAAKSHI, to collect evidence from protesters facing legal action. Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has announced a ₹1 crore corpus to provide legal assistance to those booked in connection with the protests.
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