New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday demanded the immediate release of protesters arrested in connection with its recent agitation over the NEET paper leak, and withdrawal of all FIRs already registered, with an assurance that no fresh cases would be filed.

The CJP warned that it would resume its protest if the government failed to provide a written agreement by Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the issue was discussed during the third round of talks with the government on July 25, before their 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar was called off.

"In the third round of talks, we had agreed that all FIRs filed against protesters and organisers across the country would be withdrawn and no new FIR would be filed against any organiser and protester in future," Ranka said.

He said the CJP had submitted a draft agreement to Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, and it was agreed that the government would share a written agreement by Tuesday after legal consultations.

"We are waiting for the government to share the written agreement. We hope a senior Cabinet minister will honour the agreement and the FIRs will be withdrawn, no protester or organiser would be harassed, and no cases would be filed in future," he said.

Ranka said if the written agreement was not received by Tuesday and protesters arrested in connection with the agitation were not released, the outfit would be "forced to protest again."

In a post on X, Ranka alleged that the government had breached the understanding on police action, claiming that "hundreds of students" had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal while volunteers and supporters were being detained or harassed in Delhi and other states.

Tagging Nadda and Singh, he demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs, release of arrested students and an assurance that no future cases would be filed by Delhi Police, central agencies or police in BJP-ruled or BJP-allied states, failing which the CJP would resume its protest.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who also addressed the press conference, said no legal action should be taken against students who participated in "an organic protest" and announced a Rs 1 crore contribution to support legal assistance for those facing cases.

"We don't want action to be taken against students who protested. It was an organic movement," Sibal said.

He said the proposed legal network would bring together lawyers across the country willing to represent students and protesters on a pro bono basis.

"CJP will create a system and a website where lawyers from different districts can register to help. I will contribute Rs 1 crore from my side and request lawyers across the country to contribute to this fund," he said.

Alleging that protesters were being selectively targeted after the agitation ended, Sibal claimed that police were using facial recognition technology to identify participants and warned against attempts to communalise the issue.

"My role is to support this legally from outside," he said.

CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the organisation had called off the protest "in good faith" after the government accepted its principal demands and agreed to implement the remaining ones within an agreed timeline.

He said the organisation had remained in touch with Sibal before and after ending the agitation to ensure the youth movement was not derailed through litigation or targeted action.

"We thought the government might target people at an individual level once the protest ended. CJP has been providing legal and medical help to students from day one and sought guidance from Mr Sibal," Das said.

He also announced that the CJP would launch a nationwide portal to connect students with lawyers willing to provide legal assistance and said another portal, "Sakshi", had been launched to collect videos, photographs and testimonies relating to alleged police excesses during the protests.

"Police officers and Rapid Action Force personnel who came with the intention of beating protesters will be held accountable. If people have videos or photographs, they should upload them on the portal, and our legal team will take the matter forward," Das said.

CJP spokesperson Ratna Singh, who was introduced as the CJP's legal point of contact, said that lawyers were already assisting detained protesters in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.

Alleging that 11 people were arrested in Kolkata, of whom 10 were Muslims, she said that stringent provisions, including the Goonda Act, were likely to be invoked.

Singh further alleged police brutality on protesters at Patna, Siwan and Chhapra in Bihar, claiming that attempt to murder charges have been invoked, and around 5,000 unnamed persons have been booked.

The CJP called off its 36-day agitation at Jantar Mantar on Saturday after the government accepted its key demands, including the resignation of then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, withdrawal of all FIRs, an assurance against retaliatory action and a commitment to consider broader examination reforms. The government had also agreed to share a written draft of the understanding by Tuesday after legal consultations.