Govt assures no action against protesters in Bihar, Assam, Raj: CJP after midnight talks

New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has said no protester would be left to face legal action alone, claiming that government representatives had reiterated their commitment to withdrawing cases against demonstrators, releasing those detained and issuing notifications from the Centre as well as BJP/NDA-ruled states to safeguard participants of the protests.

The CJP announced this after holding a late-night meeting with government representatives, during which, it claimed, assurances were given that more states would issue formal notifications extending protection to protesters.

The statement came just hours after the CJP warned of fresh protests over what it described as a “breach of agreement” regarding police action against demonstrators. It had also said officials shared notifications issued by the Bihar and Assam governments that, according to it, provided relief to protesters.

In a late-night update posted on X, CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said the meeting with government representatives lasted for nearly three hours and focused on ensuring legal protection for those who had participated in the demonstrations.

“Hours after our press conference, Government’s representatives met us. The meeting lasted for 2-3 hours. They shared copies of the Bihar and Assam notifications guaranteeing FIR withdrawals, no action in future, and release of all detainees and arrestees,” Das said.

Claiming that further assurances had been provided, he added, “They’ve reiterated their promise of releasing guarantee-notifications by union government and other BJP/NDA states by tomorrow. Hopefully, the agreed upon language shall be used. No protester will be left alone. We are all in this together!”

Later, Das said the party had also received fresh assurances regarding Rajasthan, where it claimed no legal action would be initiated against those who took part in the protests.

“After Bihar and Assam notifications, we have just been guaranteed that no authority will proceed against protesters in Rajasthan. No FIRs have been registered. None will be,” he said.

In a video message shared after the meeting, Das said CJP representatives had conveyed their concerns that commitments made by the government might not ultimately be implemented, prompting them to seek written assurances.

“We told them that we were worried the assurances given by the government may not be fulfilled. In response, they brought along the Bihar Home Department’s press release stating that all FIRs against protesters would be withdrawn and that no action would be taken against them in the future,” he said.

According to Das, discussions also centred on persuading other state governments to issue similar notifications so that protesters across different states would receive the same level of legal protection.

“We sat together and discussed which other state governments could issue similar notifications so that no harm comes to protesters,” he said.

He further claimed that the government had assured the party that additional notifications addressing its concerns would be issued soon.

“The government has guaranteed that notifications addressing our concerns in various states will be issued by tomorrow and that protesters will remain safe. No action will be taken against them in the future,” he further said.

Reiterating the party’s commitment to those who participated in the demonstrations, Das said the CJP would continue working to ensure that no protester faced legal consequences.

“We will make sure that not a single protester who participated in demonstrations in their city faces any legal action. We have stood with protesters from day one and will continue to stand with them,” Das said.

The latest developments came only hours after the CJP warned that it was prepared to resume protests if assurances regarding legal protection for demonstrators were not honoured.

The Abhijeet Dipke-led movement, which began as a satirical campaign and derived its name from an insult, concluded its protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the weekend following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister, one of the organisation’s principal demands.

–IANS