After govt moves to cancel FIRs, CJP calls off Sept 5 protest march

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson and co-convenor Saurav Das on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the party was withdrawing its call for a protest march in Delhi on September 5 following the Centre’s assurance before the top court and the subsequent orders to be passed by it.

The Centre assured the Supreme Court that it would stand by its commitments to the agitators, including withdrawing FIRs registered in connection with the July 20 Jantar Mantar march.

“In view of the positive assurance and judicial sanctity and the order being passed by this court today, CJP deems it appropriate to withdraw the protest march call,” Das told the court. He also expressed hope that BJP-NDA governments in other states would take similar action and said compensation was expected for the families of students who died amid the NEET controversy.

Reacting to the CJP’s decision, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, "If both sides show good gestures, everything can be resolved."

The development came a day after the Delhi Police told the Supreme Court that it "no longer wishes to pursue" 13 FIRs linked to the CJP-led NEET protests in July, invoking Article 142.

The CJP had announced the September 5 march on August 24, proposing a route from India Gate to the New Delhi Police Headquarters. The party had accused the Centre of failing to honour assurances given when it called off its nationwide agitation against the NEET paper leak on July 25.

The protesters had claimed that several commitments made at the time, particularly those concerning FIRs and written assurances, had not been fulfilled.

The Supreme Court also said the Centre and the Delhi government would have to decide on the law-and-order arrangements for the proposed march, while stressing that all stakeholders were expected to act peacefully and within the legal framework.

The bench further said there were “no compelling circumstances” to presume that the proposed mobilisation would turn violent, leaving it to the authorities to decide whether the march could be held and, if so, under what conditions.