4 min readNew DelhiJul 29, 2026 12:17 AM IST
First published on: Jul 28, 2026 at 04:36 PM IST
As the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) threatens to resume its agitation, accusing the Centre of backtracking on its promise not to take legal action against protesters, government sources have said its assurance never extended to those accused of violence or those with a criminal background.
One of the key demands of the CJP before it reached an agreement with the Centre on calling off the protests against paper leaks in Delhi and elsewhere was that cases registered against protesters be withdrawn. The CJP has now accused the government of going back on its commitment by allowing the police to register cases and make arrests in BJP-ruled states and warned of renewing the agitation. They have also pointed out that the signed agreement the Centre promised had not yet been handed over.
Government sources, however, insisted that the assurance was limited to “peaceful protesters” and did not cover “anti-social elements” who allegedly infiltrated the protests. “The agreement between the CJP and the government, following which they withdrew their protest, was conveyed through the press conference held on Saturday. What (Health Minister JP) Nadda ji expressed as the government’s assurance was carefully worded. He clearly said there would be no case against protesters and organisers for the activity of protests. But those who have engaged in violence or have a criminal background should be dealt with,” a senior Union minister said.
Union Ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh with CJP’s Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at a press briefing in New Delhi. File
The minister pointed out that even in the written assurance given to activist Sonam Wangchuk before he ended his 26-day fast, the government committed only to not taking action against “peaceful protesters”.
Another senior minister said there was still no signed written agreement between the Centre and the CJP, and the only formal articulation of the understanding is Health Minister Nadda’s press conference on Saturday. The proposal submitted by the CJP, which was to be returned with the government’s signatures by Tuesday, had not yet been handed over, sources said.
At Saturday’s joint press conference, Nadda had said, “Broadly, their proposal demanded that no FIRs be registered and if there are then they be withdrawn, be they in Delhi or in other BJP-ruled states. We will give a copy of those FIRs to them, and we will not take any action after withdrawing those FIRs… There will be no case against protesters and organisers in future for this activity (protests).”
However, the written assurance to Wangchuk before he broke his fast stated: “Government is positive on not registering cases against those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and those participating in the march to Parliament on July 20, 2026.”
Meanwhile, BJP governments in Bihar and Assam have announced that they would withdraw cases against protesters detained before 6 pm on July 26 and release those arrested before that cut-off.
The source added that the government would act against “anti-social elements” involved in the protests only after assessing the current law and order situation and possible consequences of its decisions.
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, along with senior advocate Kapil Sibal, at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday. File
CJP’s protest warning
On Monday, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged a “complete breach” of the July 25 understanding with the Centre, claiming that hundreds of students had been arrested in BJP-ruled states. He demanded an immediate withdrawal of all FIRs, the release of detained protesters, an end to fresh criminal cases by the Delhi Police, central agencies and police in BJP-ruled states, and immediate sharing of the signed agreement. The CJP also announced a nationwide legal aid cell and launched an online evidence-gathering platform, SAAKSHI, with Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal announcing a Rs 1 crore corpus to provide legal assistance to protesters facing criminal proceedings.
