New Delhi: The governments in Bihar in Assam late Monday assured it would release those detained in youth protests in the state and end legal action against them as the police crackdown on the agitation spilled into the new week despite an agreement between the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and Centre.
The press release from home department of Bihar, where no fewer than 300 students were arrested over the weekend amid an alarming report of an AK-47 used at a protest last week by a policeman, came after a reiteration of the movement’s demand on releasing those arrested and their freedom from prosecution.
In a separate press note issued Monday, the government of Assam said it had registered five cases in the state, resulting in the arrest of 13 persons. It added that the government “will not initiate any legal action against those involved in the protests”, the withdrawal of registered cases will be initiated “as per law promptly”, and the process for releasing the arrested persons “will be initiated expeditiously”. The note added that the government “does not propose to take any further adverse action against the individuals involved in the protests, and the matter shall be treated as closed without any future proceedings on this account”.
In West Bengal, where the protests have been as widespread and furious, was expected to follow suit, police sources said. A blanket withdrawal like Bihar did not seem likely, however. A senior police officer said, “We will be seeking a legal opinion in connection with the cases where journalists have filed the FIR over manhandling, since they are registered by individuals.”
The Bihar government release incorporated a cutoff, saying: “No adverse legal action—punitive/retaliatory—shall be taken by the government against any individual participating in the protests before 6 pm on 26 July across the entire state.”
The release went on to say that “the legal process for withdrawal of all existing FIRs, criminal complaints or showcause notice against individuals, before 6 pm on July 26 on account of their participations in the said protests, will be initiated immediately.” All the persons arrested or detained in connection with the cases registered before the same cutoff would be released immediately, it said, finally declaring that “no action, directly or indirectly, will be taken against such individuals in future as well”.
The latest denouement in the CJP saga came hours after the outfit’s spokespersons along with the All India Students’ Association (AISA) threatened to restart their agitation, alleging that the Centre was not fulfilling the commitments agreed upon on Saturday that led to the outfit withdrawing the agitation.
The police in West Bengal and Bihar arrested hundreds for arson and violence leading to loss of property and injuries to police personnel. Some 335 people were arrested in Bihar alone, even as a constable was suspended by the state police for using an AK-47 at a protest in the district on Saturday.
CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das objected to the arrests while AISA national president Neha Vora met the Bihar police chief seeking withdrawal of cases.
“We are observing a complete breach of the agreement regarding no police action against the protestors. Hundreds of students have been arrested in Bihar and Bengal, and hundreds are being surveilled or harassed in Delhi and other states. Multiple reports are emerging in Delhi around the detention of volunteers supporting protestors with logistics,” CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka posted earlier in the day on social media, tagging both Union ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, the government’s interlocutors during the negotiations and joint press conference on Saturday.
“We demand that all the FIRs against the protestors be immediately withdrawn, students be released, and no future FIRs be filed (in line with our agreement) by Delhi Police / Central investigative agencies / Police in BJP-allied states, FAILING WHICH WE WILL BE FORCED TO SIT ON PROTEST AGAIN,” Ranka said.
All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora, who has been at the forefront of the stir, issued a similar warning to the government over arrests of individuals in Bihar, including Communist legislator from Paliganj Sameer Saurabh.
“The Union government had assured that protesting students would not face any case and that the existing cases would be withdrawn. However, hundreds of students remain in jail across Bihar. Arresting students and invoking serious charges such as attempt to murder against them for protesting is unacceptable. The government must honour its assurance and withdraw all cases against the protesters; otherwise, Bihar, too, will witness protests similar to those in Delhi,” Bora had told reporters at Patna airport.
She also met Bihar police chief Vinay Kumar, urging the state police to honour the Union government’s commitments. Later on Monday, after the Bihar government assurance, she said AISA will “continue to keep watch and make sure the government follows through on its order until every student is free”. Bora welcomed the government’s move to withdraw cases, adding that the outfit would be vigilant about all cases and release of all arrested individuals. Till then, she said the call for a protest on 30 July would stand.
Both CJP and AISA had earlier said they would restart their agitation once again in the Capital if the Saturday agreement is not upheld by governments in the BJP-ruled states.
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The Kalashnikov incident
Earlier on Monday, the Bihar Police suspended Constable Abhishek Kumar, who was captured in videos firing in the air with an AK-47 as thousands of protesters assembled near J.P. Chowk, named after socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, in Siwan on Saturday. The police said that Kumar fired four rounds in the air to disperse the crowd and that no injuries were reported due to him opening fire. Kumar has been suspended, and a departmental enquiry has been initiated against him, the Bihar Police said in a statement.
In a separate press release, the state police said that a total of 694 people were detained during the protest that led to episodes of violence, including stone pelting and arson. The police said that 339, including students, minors and women, were released later on personal bonds.
According to the police statement, the protests and subsequent violence left 91 people, including senior police and administrative officers, including the Siwan and Sitamarhi Superintendents of Police, injured. Several officers have been left injured in the violence, the police said, adding that 14 public vehicles were damaged.
Social media crackdown
The police in Delhi and states such as Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have come down heavily on the posts targeting Prime Minister Modi. As part of the sweeping crackdown, the Delhi Police have written to the social media platforms—X and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, over “objectionable” and “abusive” content against Modi. Delhi Police officers, however, described the exercise as “routine”.
“During the protests at Jantar Mantar, several social media accounts shared posts deemed objectionable and abusive towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders,” a police source said. “After review of content uploaded during and after the protest, police are issuing notices to remove such posts which are abusive in nature. This is a routine and continuous process. We take down objectionable, illegal content,” said the source.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Niwari district police have booked social media content creator Yashpal Soni, for allegedly using “highly abusive” language against former Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the BJP and Delhi Police in a video clip. Soni was booked on 23 July over an Instagram reel. He faces Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 296(a) (obscene act in any public place to the annoyance of others) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace) following a complaint from local BJP leaders.
Along with Soni, on July 26, police sources in Kolkata said that a complaint was received at Anandapur Police Station from BJP leader Keya Ghosh of Madurdaha, alleging that Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra displayed “offensive, defamatory and derogatory caricatures of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India” during a public rally held on 24 July 24 between Sealdah and Dharmatala.
The police said the allegations attract the provisions of BNS Sections 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace), 353(20) (public mischief) and 356(3) (defamation).
String of cases in Bengal, Assam
A senior police officer from Kolkata Police told ThePrint that on 24 July, at around 2 pm, a crowd carrying flags, banners of different political organisations assembled unlawfully at Dorina crossing without any permission from police authority.
“They had vehicles with them and were using microphones at high volume. They were giving provocative speeches instigating their followers to encroach the entire Dorina crossing. The continuous instigations of the leaders infuriated the crowd, resulting to which the whole gathering became very aggressive and unruly. The assembly was declared unlawful through the public address system,” the Kolkata Police said in a statement.
It added, “They were repeatedly instructed to leave the place and to maintain peace but in vain. The crowd, under the instructions of the leaders, started hurling water bottles, shoes, sticks and stones targeting the police, reporters and passers-by.”
In this, some police personnel sustained injuries. The police said they were trying to provoke the police, but the latter showed “very restrained behaviour and maintained order, confining them within a certain ambit.” Such an act completely paralysed regular vehicular movement and public activities. Finally, around 7.15 pm, they left the place. The Kolkata Police registered seven FIRs, a few of them filed by reporters, and arrested 16 people.
“The crowd was extremely unruly, and was engaging in vandalism and misbehaving with reporters. When contacted, the CJP told the police that they don’t belong to their group; all have been arrested,” said the officer.
Meanwhile, the Assam Police arrested eight people as part of a probe into two cases filed based on “public-order concerns and allegations of violations during protests.” On 25 July, several people gathered in Guwahati to continue the protests in connection with the CJP protests at Jantar Mantar.
On 23 July, three men from Assam’s Lakhimpur district were arrested for allegedly attempting to organise a protest in support of the nationwide youth movement. A senior police officer said that the arrested men have been identified as Monjur Rahman, Ashraful Islam and Abdul Kashem, all residents of Islampur village under Laluk Police Station.
“Investigation revealed the three had created a WhatsApp group to mobilise people for a demonstration in solidarity with the youth movement, which has since led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. They were attempting to create a ‘Nepal-like situation’,” the officer said, adding that more people will be arrested soon.
This is an updated version of the report
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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