CJP launches legal aid fund website for NEET protesters, Kapil Sibal pledges ₹1 billion | Today’s news
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday announced that it is launching a website to solicit public contributions for a legal aid fund to protect those who participated in the protests and faced legal action.
Addressing a press conference in the state capital, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had sought legal assistance from senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal before calling off the 37-day agitation on July 25.
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The CJP flagged concerns about post-protest targeting of individuals, citing a “manual” used in previous agitations to implicate protesters in false cases.
Quick answers to key questions
•5 QUESTIONS
A legal aid fund website aims to solicit public contributions to protect individuals who took part in the protests and are facing legal action.
The CJP is concerned about the “manual” used in previous protests where participants were falsely implicated in cases after the protests ended.
The CJP has been coordinating with lawyers to provide legal and medical assistance to all students involved in the protests since day one.
Kapil Sibal pledged ₹1 million to support the legal aid fund and called on lawyers to help protesters facing trials.
Yes, the CJP has warned of a complete breach of trust if the government does not withdraw the FIR against the protesters and ensure no further punitive action.
Das said the organization consulted Sibal for legal advice both before and after calling off its nationwide protests.
“We have been in constant touch with Kapil ji and sought legal help. When we called off the protest on the 25th, we realized that in the future, once the movement dies down or the momentum of the protest dies down, the government might start targeting individuals. This is a very credible concern as the same playbook has been observed in other major protests where individuals have been singled out for fake conferences. Sibal’s residence at Teen Murti Lane in central delhi.
Das said the CJP has provided legal and medical assistance to the students since day one and is now scaling up support across states. “From day one, legal and medical assistance was provided to all students and coordination with lawyers was ensured to get them support across the country,” he said.
“The CJP is providing all kinds of assistance to the protesters across the country,” he added. Further, Das said that on July 20, the CJP had promised to lodge an FIR against the police officials accused of brutality during the demonstrations.
announces Sibal ₹1 million in legal aid
Sibal, who joined the briefing, announced legal and financial support for the protesters. “We don’t want any action against those who sat in the protest. It was an organic protest. Governments often don’t want any dissent. Wherever there have been peaceful protests and wherever protesters have been targeted, they will create websites. I will ₹1 crore. I am appealing to the lawyers to help us, to have our lawyers help the protestors who are being tried wherever the trials are going on in India,” said the former education minister.
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A senior advocate in the Supreme Court, Sibal served as the Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) or Education Minister of India from May 2009 to October 2012 under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
At a press conference on Monday, CJP leader Ratna Singh said Bihar had witnessed the toughest crackdown on protesters and said the party was coordinating with lawyers to provide legal aid.
“Bihar is the only state where there are reports of heavy repression and also police allegedly using AK-47s against protesters, we are coordinating with lawyers to help us,” Singh. In Bihar she named Siwan, Patna and Chapra.
The 37-day agitation by the CJP was called off on 25 July after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. The government then agreed with the CJP and activist Sonam Wangchuk to drop the cases, stop police intimidation and introduce legislation against paper leaks.
Earlier in the day, the CJP issued an ultimatum to the central government, alleging a violation of the agreement that ended its NEET agitation.
“Detention of students in Bihar, Bengal
In a post addressed to former BJP president JP Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh on X, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka cited the detention of students in Bihar, West Bengal and police raids in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
“Dear JP Nadda and DrJitendra Singh ji, We are witnessing a complete violation of the agreement of no police action against the protesters. Hundreds of students have been arrested in Bihar and Bengal and hundreds are being watched/harassed in Delhi and other states. There are numerous reports of detention of volunteers supporting the protesters in Delhi,” Ranka said with logistics.
The CJP demanded immediate withdrawal of the FIRs, release of the detained youths and a copy of the written legal protection agreement by Tuesday. Otherwise, she warned of renewed nationwide protests.
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At today’s press conference along with Kapil Sibal. Ranka said the CJP had submitted the draft agreement to Union ministers Nadda and Jitendra Singh and it was agreed that the government would submit a written agreement by Tuesday after legal consultations.
We do not want any action against those who protested. It was an organic protest.
“We are waiting for the government to share the written agreement. We hope the senior cabinet minister will honor the agreement and FIRs will be withdrawn, no protester or organizer will be harassed and no cases will be filed in future,” he said.
