New Delhi, July 27: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday announced that it is launching a website to raise public contributions for a legal aid fund to protect those who participated in protests and were facing legal action.

 

 

 

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, the CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had sought legal guidance from senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal before calling off the 37-day agitation on July 25.

 

 

 

The CJP flagged apprehension of post-protest targeting of individuals, citing a "playbook" used in previous agitations to implicate protestors in false cases.

 

 

 

Das said the outfit had consulted Sibal for legal guidance both before and after calling off its nationwide protests.

 

 

 

"We were in constant touch with Kapil ji and had sought legal guidance. When we called off the protest on the 25th, we apprehended that in the future, once the movement subsided or the momentum of the protest waned, the government might start targeting individuals. This is a very credible apprehension, as the same playbook has been observed in other major protests where individuals were singled out and implicated in false cases," he said.

 

 

 

He said CJP had ensured legal and medical assistance to students from day one and was now scaling up support across states.

 

 

 

"From day one, legal and medical assistance has been provided to all the students, and coordination with lawyers has been ensured so that they receive support across the country," he said.

 

 

 

"CJP is providing all kinds of help to protestors across the country," he added. Further, Das said that on July 20, the CJP had vowed to file FIRs against police officials accused of brutality during the demonstrations.

 

 

 

Kapil Sibal, who joined the briefing, announced legal and financial support for protestors.

 

 

 

"We don't want any action against those who sat in protest. It was an organic protest. Often governments want no dissent. Wherever there were peaceful protests and wherever protestors were targeted, they will create a website. I will give Rs 1 crore. I appeal to lawyers to aid us so that wherever in India there are trials our lawyers will help protestors who are being tried," Sibal said.

 

 

 

CJP leader Ratna Singh alleged that Bihar had witnessed the most severe crackdown on protesters and said the party was coordinating with lawyers to provide legal assistance.

 

 

 

"Bihar is the one state where reports of heavy crackdown as well as police reportedly using AK-47 against protestors is coming from, we are coordinating with lawyers to help support us," Singh. She named Siwan, Patna and Chapra in bihar.

 

 

 

The agitation was called off on July 25 after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. The government had then agreed with CJP and activist Sonam Wangchuk to drop cases, prevent police intimidation and introduce anti-paper leak legislation.

 

 

 

Earlier in the day, the CJP issued an ultimatum to the Central Government, alleging a breach of the agreement that ended its 37-day NEET agitation.

 

 

 

In a post addressed to BJP president JP Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka cited student detentions in Bihar, West Bengal and police raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

 

 

 

"Dear @JPNadda @DrJitendraSingh ji, We are observing a complete breach of the agreement regarding no police action against the protestors. Hundreds of students have been arrested in Bihar and Bengal, and hundreds are being surveilled/harrassed in Delhi and other states. Multiple reports are emerging in Delhi around detention of volunteers supporting protestors with logistics," said Ashutosh Ranka.

 

 

 

CJP demanded immediate withdrawal of FIRs, release of detained youth, and a copy of the written agreement on legal protections by Tuesday. It warned of renewed nationwide protests otherwise.

 

 

 

"We demand that all the FIRs against the protestors be immediately withdrawn, students be released and no future FIRs be filed (in line with our agreement) by Delhi police / Central investigative agencies / Police in BJP-allied states, FAILING WHICH WE WILL BE FORCED TO SIT ON PROTEST AGAIN. We also demand that the written agreement around legal cases be shared with us by tomorrow, the aligned timelines with the Government of India," added Ranka.

 

 

 

Addressing a press conference today along with Kapil Sibal. Ranka said CJP had submitted a draft agreement to Union ministers Nadda and Jitendra Singh, and it was agreed that the government would share a written agreement by Tuesday after legal consultations.

 

 

 

"We are waiting for the government to share the written agreement. We hope a senior Cabinet minister will honour the agreement and FIRs will be withdrawn, no protester or organiser would be harassed, and no cases would be filed in future," he said.

 

 

 

"We don't want action to be taken against students who sat in the protest. It was an organic movement. Usually, governments want no dissent," Sibal said.

 

 

 

The timing coincides with massive disruptions in Parliament, where Samajwadi Party and Congress MPs have raised the issue of police violence and AK-47 firings during student crackdowns in Bihar, demanding answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

 

 

 

Earlier on Saturday, Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh had assured the party that no action would be taken against protesters.