The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) launched a website on Monday to raise public contributions for a legal aid fund aimed at protecting students involved in NEET protests who face legal action. The party warned that protests would resume if the government did not withdraw FIRs against protesters, accusing the central government of violating an agreement to refrain from police action during demonstrations, according to livemint.com.
At a press conference in New Delhi, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs registered against protesters and the release of detained students, with assurances that no future FIRs would be filed. CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had consulted senior legal experts to establish a nationwide legal network to defend protestors, citing a 'playbook' used in previous agitations to implicate demonstrators in false cases, per livemint.com.
The CJP’s move highlights ongoing tensions surrounding the NEET protests, where legal actions against participants have raised concerns about government crackdowns on dissent. The legal aid fund and nationwide network aim to provide support amid fears of post-protest targeting. This development follows similar patterns seen in past protests where legal challenges were used to suppress activism, underscoring the contentious environment for student-led movements in India, as reported by livemint.com.
Former Union Minister Kapil Sibal pledged ₹1 crore to the legal aid fund, reinforcing support for the cause. The CJP’s website launch and fund-raising efforts mark a coordinated attempt to protect protesters legally, with the party signaling readiness to resume protests if government assurances are not met immediately, according to livemint.com.