Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das on Tuesday questioned the Delhi government’s reluctance to submit to the court the list of FIRs it has been asked to provide for possible quashing, saying the main concern for students is the withdrawal of cases registered against them during the protests. Das said the government should comply with the court’s direction and submit the details instead of delaying the matter.
Speaking to ANI, Das said, “When the court is asking (from government) for the list of FIRs to be quashed, then why are you not submitting it to the court? But you (government) are showing hesitancy on this in the court. Don’t play delay tactics with us. We will not accept this. They have identified around 2,800 hardened criminals; if they have to take action against them, then it is a different matter altogether. The issue relating to the students is the quashing of FIRs against them.”
The comments come as the CJP continues to demand that FIRs registered against students and other protesters during the agitation be formally withdrawn, rather than simply being treated as closed cases.
The party has maintained that students who took part in the protests should not face further legal action merely because of their participation in the agitation.
The issue dates back to the July 20 Parliament march organised by the CJP following weeks of protests and a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. Thousands of students took part in the march, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks and seeking wider reforms in the examination system.
As protesters attempted to cross police barricades in central Delhi while marching towards Parliament, security personnel used tear gas shells and resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Several videos circulated on social media purportedly showed protesters being manhandled by police. The Delhi Police, however, defended its action, saying force was used only after some protesters allegedly turned violent and engaged in stone-pelting.
The CJP has since continued to press for clarity on the FIRs, arguing that the cases involving students who participated in the agitation should be formally quashed rather than left unresolved.
