NEW DELHI: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has threatened to restart its nationwide agitation if the government fails to withdraw FIRs against student protesters, saying a Supreme Court interim order on the batch of PILs related to the protest “rings alarm bells across the country.“In an urgent statement posted on X, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said Direction No. 4 of the order is a “direct contradiction” to the government’s solemn assurance of July 25 that FIRs would be withdrawn and protesters would not be targeted. The Direction permits governments to proceed with existing FIRs and carry out investigations.“It was on the strength of that solemn assurance, and in complete good faith, that the Cockroach Janta Party called off its nationwide protest,” Das said.The CJP spokesperson expressed apprehension that the government and BJP-ruled states may “weaponise” the order passed by the bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to continue FIRs against individual protesters and subject them to harassment. “This was precisely our concern from day one: that courts could be used, directly or indirectly, to achieve political ends by targeting peaceful dissent,” he said.Das also pointed to the fact that the interim order was not opposed by the government’s lawyers, despite the Centre being fully aware that talks with the CJP had continued until late Monday night and that a “solemn agreement” had already been arrived at on July 25. “The court’s uninformed order is therefore wholly unacceptable,” he said.“A solemn public assurance given to thousands of young students and protesters cannot be diluted, undermined, or rendered meaningless through subsequent legal developments, in a surreptitious manner. It only results in breach of public trust,” Das added.He clarified that nothing in the interim order prevents the government or BJP/NDA-ruled states from withdrawing FIRs or deciding not to proceed against peaceful protesters, as done by Bihar and Assam governments. “The power to withdraw or not pursue such cases continues to rest with the executive. The court has not mandated that governments must definitely continue with the FIRs. That would be a deliberate misreading,” he said.Das demanded that the government immediately place the terms of the July 25 assurance before the Supreme Court “so that there is complete transparency regarding the commitments already made to the youth of this country.”“The youth of India entered into this understanding in good faith. That good faith must not be betrayed. Institutions of constitutional importance must never be politicised and weaponised to not honour the guarantees,” he said.The CJP spokesperson said the deadline for the government to honour its guarantees expires on Tuesday. “We once again call upon it to fulfil every commitment it made: withdraw the FIRs, ensure that no protester is subjected to future punitive action, and honour both the letter and the spirit of the assurance that brought an end to the protest.”He warned that if the guarantees are not honoured, the CJP will have “no option but to resume its nationwide protest.” “A government that breaks its word cannot expect the youth to remain silent. If the guarantees are dishonoured, the streets of India will once again become the voice of its young,” Das said.The CJP had called off its 36-day agitation at Jantar Mantar on July 25 after the government accepted its key demands, including the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
