Days after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) suspended its nationwide protest following talks with the Central Government, the party has raised concerns over reports of protesters facing detention and arrest in several parts of the country.
The CJP has asked the government to fulfil the assurances it says officials gave during negotiations, particularly the commitment that authorities would not take punitive action against people who participated in the movement.
CJP Says Government Promised No Legal Action
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said the government assured the party that authorities would not take legal action against protesters, either immediately or in the future, in BJP-ruled or NDA-ruled states.
Das said the CJP relied on these assurances when it decided to withdraw its nationwide agitation.
“The Cockroach Janta Party had called off its nationwide protest only after the Government of India assured us that no punitive action would be taken against any protestor, either now or in the future, in any BJP-ruled or NDA-ruled states,” Das said.
He added that reports of arrests and other action in these states have raised serious concerns within the party.
Party Raises Concerns Over FIRs
The CJP had made a no-FIR policy for protesters one of its key demands during discussions with the government.
The party now says authorities have violated that understanding by detaining protesters and registering criminal cases against some demonstrators.
According to the CJP, these developments contradict the assurances that encouraged the organisation to suspend its protest.
CJP Seeks Intervention From Union Ministers
The party has called on the Central Government to intervene and address the situation immediately.
The CJP specifically urged Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh to ensure that authorities release detained protesters and stop any further action against participants.
The party said:
“We call upon the Government of India, particularly @JPNadda ji and @DrJitendraSingh ji, to immediately honour the assurance given to us by ensuring the release of those detained and by directing that no coercive or retaliatory action is taken against any protestor anywhere in the country.”
The CJP also demanded that authorities withdraw FIRs registered against protesters.
CJP Says Arrests Could Affect Trust
The party said the reported arrests have created uncertainty among people who joined the nationwide agitation.
The CJP maintained that it ended the protest in good faith after receiving assurances from the government. It argued that authorities could damage trust between the government and organisations that use democratic protests to raise public issues if they take action against participants after negotiations.
Government Yet to Respond
The Central Government has not yet issued an official response to the CJP’s latest statement or addressed the party’s allegations about detentions and FIRs.
The CJP has also not provided a confirmed nationwide figure for the number of protesters allegedly detained or arrested. It remains unclear which states recorded the reported cases.
CJP Awaits Government Action
The latest dispute adds a new dimension to the protest issue. The CJP wants the government to release detained protesters, withdraw FIRs and honour the commitments the party says officials made during negotiations.
The party has said it will continue monitoring the situation while awaiting a formal response from the government.