Don't mistake good faith for weakness: CJP warns Centre, weighs fresh stir

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will hold a meeting of its national working committee on Monday to review the Centre's response to commitments made when it withdrew its nationwide agitation on July 25. The party said the government has yet to formally communicate the steps being taken to fulfil those assurances.

The CJP said all options to ensure implementation of the commitments would be considered at the meeting, including the possibility of another peaceful nationwide agitation. It asked students, young citizens, supporters and volunteers to remain prepared for the outcome.

In a statement issued in New Delhi on Saturday, the CJP said it had ended its agitation “in good faith because the government gave its word to the young people of this country” and warned that its decision should not be mistaken for “weakness”.

The party said any attempt to “dilute, delay, reinterpret or dishonour” the commitments would amount to “vishwasghaat” (betrayal) of the country's youth.

The announcement came days after the Supreme Court on August 18 sought a consolidated list of FIRs registered against students and protesters across the country. According to the CJP, the court asked the Centre three times for the list so that it could consider exercising its powers under Article 142 to quash the cases.

“Despite the court repeatedly asking for this list, the Union government did not commit to providing it,” the party alleged.

The CJP said that after the hearing, its co-convener Saurav Das and legal affairs lead Ratna Singh raised concerns that the government appeared to be “cheating” the younger generation after the outfit called off its agitation on the basis of commitments made during talks with the Centre.

According to the party, the assurances included the withdrawal or quashing of FIRs linked to the protests, a guarantee that no student or peaceful protester would face punitive action in the future, and compensation for the families of NEET-UG candidates who died by suicide after the examination was cancelled in May following paper leaks.

The CJP also claimed that the government delegation that held talks with its representatives had not formally contacted the party to place on record the steps being taken to implement the written assurances, including those concerning FIRs and compensation.

The national working committee will review the situation on Monday and decide the party's next course of action, including whether to launch another peaceful nationwide agitation.

The CJP withdrew its nationwide agitation on July 25, soon after then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government assured that students and peaceful protesters would not face punitive action. The campaign had also sought action over the NEET paper leak controversy and compensation for the families of candidates who died by suicide.