CJP launches online fund for protestors' legal aid after NEET-UG paper leak agitation

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday announced that it will launch a website to raise public contributions for a legal aid fund to support people facing what it described as wrongful legal action after participating in protests, with Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal saying even a contribution of Re 1 would be welcome.

"We will launch a website where people can, in their good faith, contribute (even if it is Re 1), to help create a fund and help people facing wrongful legal action after protesting for their rights," Sibal said. He added that while he was extending legal support, "the disbursement of the fund is not associated with me, CJP will take responsibility for it."

Also read: CJP threatens to 'sit on protest again'; warns govt over alleged police action


Sibal said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that students and other protesters were not left to fight legal battles alone. "We don't want students to be targeted for an organic protest movement," he said, adding that the arrangement would help people facing legal action "wherever in India, be it Maharashtra or Bihar."

He alleged that the government would "try and harass and target the people associated/linked to the protests" and said the campaign was "a movement for the improvement of India," arguing that change would come only when those raising their voices against inequality were not targeted by the state.

CJP says legal preparations began before protests ended

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the party had consulted Sibal for legal guidance both before and after calling off its nationwide protests on July 25.

"We ended the nationwide protests on July 25 in good faith. Before and after that, we were consulting with Kapil Sibal for legal guidance," Das said, adding that the organisation wanted to ensure its "youth movement" was not derailed.

Explaining the rationale behind the legal aid initiative, Das said the party feared that individual protesters could face action after demonstrations ended.

"When we called off the protests, we were worried that once the movement of protest was over, the government may individually start targeting people; this is something the govt has done before," he said.

Das said the party stood with students protesting across the country and recalled that on July 20, CJP had vowed to file FIRs against police officials accused of brutality during the demonstrations.

"This is the first step in our fight to hold those responsible for crackdown on students accountable," he said.

Also read: CJP protests: Delhi Police awaits official nod on withdrawal of FIRs against NEET paper leak protesters

CJP cites Bihar crackdown, says lawyers being coordinated

CJP worker Ratna Singh alleged that Bihar had witnessed the most severe crackdown on protesters and said the party was coordinating with lawyers to provide legal assistance.

"Bihar is the one state where developments of heavy crackdown and 'police brutality' as well as Police reportedly using AK-47 against protestors is coming from; we are coordinating with lawyers to help support us," Singh said.

The announcement comes days after CJP withdrew its nationwide agitation, saying it had done so after discussions with Centre while continuing to maintain that protesters should not face legal action for participating in demonstrations.