The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday claimed it received fresh assurances from government representatives following a late-night meeting, with the group saying steps would be taken to protect protesters from legal action in more BJP/NDA-ruled states.

The development came hours after the party warned it could resume its agitation, alleging that promises made during earlier negotiations on police action against protesters were not being implemented.

CJP claims fresh assurances after midnight meeting

In a post shared on X at around 1 am, CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said government representatives met party leaders for nearly three hours and shared official notifications issued by the Bihar and Assam governments.

According to Das, the notifications guarantee the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters, the release of detainees and assurances that no future action will be taken against those who participated in the demonstrations.

He also claimed the government reaffirmed its commitment to issuing similar notifications from the Union government and other BJP/NDA-ruled states.

“Hopefully, the agreed upon language shall be used. No protester will be left alone. We are all in this together,” Das said.

CJP says discussions focused on safeguarding protesters

In a video message released after the meeting, Das said the party conveyed its concerns that previous assurances might not be fully implemented.

He said government representatives presented the Bihar Home Department’s press release stating that FIRs against protesters would be withdrawn and that no future action would be taken.

Das added that discussions also covered the possibility of other state governments issuing similar notifications to ensure protesters do not face legal proceedings.

According to him, the government assured the party that notifications addressing these concerns would be issued by Tuesday and that protesters would remain protected from future action.

He also said the CJP would continue working to ensure that every protester who participated in demonstrations across the country is protected from legal action.

Fresh protest threat put on hold for now

The latest developments came after the CJP warned on Monday that it could return to the streets if cases against protesters were not withdrawn.

The Abhijeet Dipke-led movement, which began as a satirical campaign and derived its name from an insult, ended its 37-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the weekend after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister, one of the group’s key demands.

Earlier on Monday, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that despite earlier assurances, protesters continued to face police action in some parts of the country.

He claimed that students had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while volunteers supporting protesters in Delhi and other states were facing surveillance or detention.

Ranka demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs against protesters, the release of detained students and an assurance that no fresh FIRs would be registered. He warned that the group would resume protests if those demands were not met.

Rajasthan also covered, claims CJP

Later on Monday night, Das said the party had also received assurances regarding Rajasthan.

He claimed authorities had guaranteed that no action would be taken against protesters in the state and that no FIRs had been registered or would be registered.

Das further said the party was continuing discussions to ensure other BJP/NDA-ruled states issue notifications with language that clearly protects protesters from legal action.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Punjab had signalled what many viewed as a fresh political outreach by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a state where it has struggled to recover from the fallout of the 2020-21 farm laws protest. However, the return of farmers to the Shambhu border over concerns surrounding the proposed India-US trade agreement has once again brought agrarian issues to the forefront.

Thousands of farmers gathered at the Punjab-Haryana border, while Haryana Police stopped them from marching towards Delhi. The scenes have drawn comparisons with both the 2020-21 farm laws protest and the farmers’ agitation witnessed in 2024.

BJP’s development narrative faces disruption

During his recent Punjab visit, Prime Minister Modi focused on development, infrastructure and investment, signalling the BJP’s intention to shift political discussions away from the farm laws controversy ahead of the Assembly elections, which are expected in about six months.

His decision to wear a green turban, a colour closely associated with Punjab’s farming community, was widely viewed as a symbolic gesture aimed at reaching out to rural voters.

However, the ongoing protest over the proposed India-US trade agreement has interrupted that narrative, with farmers once again mobilising at the Shambhu border.

Concerns over proposed India-US trade agreement

Farmer organisations have expressed concern that lower import duties under the proposed India-US trade agreement could allow heavily subsidised American agricultural and dairy products to enter the Indian market. They argue this could reduce domestic prices and negatively impact farmers’ incomes.

The groups have also maintained that waiting until the agreement is finalised would leave little opportunity to safeguard farmers’ interests.

Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon has appealed to farmers not to draw conclusions before the agreement is finalised. He said no final pact has been signed and asserted there would be “no compromise on the interests of farmers and livestock rearers”. He also said Prime Minister Modi has assured that Punjab’s farmers would not be adversely affected.

Opposition steps up attack

The issue has quickly become a political flashpoint in Punjab.

The Congress has launched a campaign against the proposed trade agreement, alleging it could adversely affect the state’s agriculture and dairy sectors.

The Aam Aadmi Party has described the proposed pact as the “biggest betrayal of farmers” and has demanded that the Centre make the draft agreement public.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has also extended support to the agitation, accusing the Centre of ignoring the concerns of Punjab’s farming community.

Political implications ahead of Punjab polls

The BJP has been attempting to broaden its support beyond its traditional urban voter base by expanding its presence in rural Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections.

Political observers had viewed Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit as the beginning of that outreach. However, the renewed farmers’ mobilisation risks reviving memories of the 2020-21 farm laws agitation, which had significantly affected the BJP’s standing among many farmers in the state.

Unlike the earlier movement, which centred on domestic agricultural reforms, the current agitation focuses on a proposed international trade agreement. If the movement gathers further momentum, it could become India’s first large-scale farmers’ protest against a foreign trade pact, bringing renewed attention to how political parties balance international trade objectives with the interests of domestic agriculture.

With Assembly elections approaching, the renewed agitation has the potential to once again make farmers’ concerns a central issue in Punjab’s political discourse.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has warned that it will resume protests from Tuesday if the Centre does not withdraw cases filed against demonstrators and stop further police action against students involved in the nationwide agitation.

The Abhijeet Dipke-led movement, which began as a satirical campaign and later evolved into a nationwide protest over alleged examination irregularities, had ended its 37-day sit-in at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the weekend following discussions with the government.

According to the organisation, the protest was withdrawn in “good faith” after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, one of the group’s key demands.

CJP alleges breach of assurances

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that authorities had failed to honour assurances made during negotiations by continuing police action against protesters.

In a post on X, he claimed that hundreds of students had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while volunteers and protesters in Delhi and other states were facing surveillance and harassment.

Ranka urged senior ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, who represented the government during the talks, to ensure that all FIRs registered against protesters are withdrawn and that no fresh cases are filed by Delhi Police, central investigative agencies or police forces in BJP-allied states.

He also sought a written copy of the understanding reached during the negotiations regarding legal action against protesters.

Demands raised after talks with Centre

Following the third round of discussions held at the Constitution Club on Saturday, the CJP had said the Centre agreed to provide suitable compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and assured that FIRs lodged against protesters across the country would be withdrawn.

The organisation had submitted a five-point charter of demands to the government and said another round of talks would be held after four weeks.

One of the group’s major demands was the withdrawal of FIRs registered after the July 20 ‘Chalo Sansad’ march and a commitment that no further legal action would be initiated against protesters.

Police action and Parliament debate

Several FIRs were filed following clashes during the July 20 protest near Parliament after demonstrators attempted to march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament.

Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd, leading to clashes and multiple detentions.

On Monday, the issue echoed in Parliament as Opposition members repeatedly demanded a government response over the police crackdown on protesters.

Meanwhile, despite disruptions in the House, the government introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha proposing stricter penalties for examination paper leaks.