CJP Threatens to Resume Protests Over FIRs After Supreme Court Order
For the second time in two days, the Chhatra Janata Party (CJP) has threatened to resume nationwide protests, expressing fear that the government will use a recent Supreme Court order to harass student protesters. The order, issued on Tuesday by a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, directed that no coercive action be taken against peaceful protesters and ordered the release of detained students with no prior criminal record. However, it allowed states to continue investigating FIRs registered against protesters.
The CJP had called off its protests on July 25 after the government assured that all FIRs against peaceful protesters would be withdrawn. However, in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday evening, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said the Supreme Court order contradicted that assurance. 'This direction stands in direct contradiction to the solemn assurance and guarantee extended by the Government of India to the youth of this nation on 25 July, namely, that the FIRs would be withdrawn and that no protester would be directly or indirectly targeted,' Das wrote.
Das expressed concern that the government and BJP-ruled states could use the court order to continue FIRs against individual protesters, causing harassment. He noted that the government's lawyers did not oppose the order despite knowing about the earlier assurance. '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.
The CJP had been protesting since June 20 at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar against alleged paper leaks in examinations. The students demanded the resignation of the Education Minister and a thorough investigation. The protests ended after the government's assurance on July 25.
On Monday, CJP coordinator Ashutosh Ranka had also alleged a 'complete breach' of the agreement, claiming hundreds of protesters had been arrested. He demanded the withdrawal of all FIRs and warned that failure to do so would force the CJP to resume protests.
In Tuesday's statement, Das reiterated the deadline: 'The deadline for the Government of India to honour its guarantees expires today. 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.' He warned that if the government broke its word, the CJP would have no option but to resume nationwide protests.
The Supreme Court order came in response to a batch of petitions against the alleged use of excessive force against students. The bench clarified that the protection from coercive action does not extend to persons with criminal antecedents. The court's ruling attempts to balance the right to peaceful protest with the need for lawful investigation.
