Union Health Minister J P Nadda Announces Withdrawal of FIRs Against Protesters
Government's Assurance to Protesters
New Delhi: Union Health Minister J P Nadda announced on Tuesday that all FIRs filed against participants of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in July will be dismissed, and no severe actions will be pursued against them.
Nadda's statement followed the Supreme Court's decision to annul all FIRs against students involved in the CJP-led demonstrations held from July 20 to 25 nationwide, leading the organization to cancel its planned march in the capital on September 5.
On July 25, Nadda and his colleague Jitendra Singh met with student representatives at Jantar Mantar, assuring them that the cases against them would be dropped and that no harsh measures would be taken.
"We assured the students, considering their future, that the cases against them would be withdrawn and that no further strict actions would follow," Nadda informed reporters.
He expressed support for the CJP's decision to cancel the September 5 march, noting that the Centre had consulted with all BJP-led states, which agreed to withdraw FIRs against CJP protesters within their jurisdictions.
"We engaged in discussions with BJP-ruled states in this spirit. We are now set to fulfill our commitment. We appreciate the CJP's choice to cancel the September 5 protest in Delhi," Nadda stated.
The Union Minister emphasized that the welfare and advancement of the nation's youth is a top priority for the government.
The CJP had initially planned the protest march in Delhi on Teachers' Day (September 5), accusing the government of not honoring commitments made on July 25 to end their 36-day agitation concerning exam irregularities and the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
The CJP indicated that the march would be led by families of students who tragically took their own lives following the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 and the subsequent re-test, as well as those who faced police brutality during the July protests.
Previously, the CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march on July 20 resulted in confrontations between protesters and security forces, who employed batons and tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to approach Parliament.
The student-led protests, which expanded to multiple cities, focused on demanding the resignation of then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The agitation, which commenced at Jantar Mantar on June 20, concluded on July 25 after Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to the CJP's other demands.