A YOUTH-LED “cockroach” movement, whose nationwide protests forced the resignation of the education minister, has urged authorities to release all detained demonstrators.
The online Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which organised protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said they had received reports of students held in detention, particularly in the states of Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.
The CJP accused the government of backtracking after authorities had assured them that no punitive action would be taken against protesters.
“If the government does not honour the agreement and release everyone detained or arrested, we will be compelled to resume the protest,” Ashutosh Ranka, a spokesperson of the CJP told reporters.
It comes days after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister over repeated failures in the conduct of competitive exams that have fuelled anger among millions of young Indians.
The Indian government have not issued an official statement on the issue but Bihar police late Monday evening said “no adverse legal action” would be initiated against any protester.
The police also announced the immediate release of those arrested or detained in connection to the protests in Bihar state.
At least 100 people have been arrested, many of them on stringent non-bailable charges, across the country, according to the CJP.
The CJP has set up a legal fund to help meet the expenses of protesters implicated in criminal cases by the police, Saurav Das, another spokesperson for the youth-led movement, said.
The movement has won millions of followers on social media since it was launched in May by 30-year-old public relations graduate Abhijeet Dipke.
Tens of thousands of protesters, mainly students, rallied last week in New Delhi and other cities, demanding Pradhan’s resignation and broader reforms of the examination system.
Demonstrations in the Indian capital turned violent on July 20 when huge crowds attempted to march towards parliament from the Jantar Mantar protest site.
Despite the disruptions, the government introduced legislation in the lower house seeking tougher penalties for examination paper leaks. — AFP
