New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which led a mass youth movement seeking the government’s accountability over the recent examination scandals and called off their protest after education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, on Monday (July 27) released a statement reminding the Union government of its assurance that there would not be punitive action against any protester in any state. The statement comes amid multiple reports of police crackdown from various states where protests were held, including Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.“We are deeply concerned by multiple reports reaching us of students and other protestors being targeted, detained, or arrested by various state agencies, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar. The Cockroach Janta Party had called off its nationwide protest only after the Government of India assured us that no punitive action would be taken against any protestor, either now or in the future, in any BJP-ruled or NDA-ruled states. The reports emerging from these states are therefore a matter of grave concern,” read a statement posted on X by CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das.“We call upon the Government of India, particularly @JPNadda ji and @DrJitendraSingh ji, to immediately honour the assurance given to us by ensuring the release of those detained and by directing that no coercive or retaliatory action is taken against any protestor anywhere in the country. The FIRs registered ought to be withdrawn too,” the statement read.The CJP has demanded the government to furnish the guarantee in writing by Tuesday, July 28. “Our decision to suspend the nationwide protest was taken in good faith and solely on the basis of the government’s assurance that it would stand by its word. Any departure from that assurance would not merely amount to a breach of trust with the Cockroach Janta Party but would also be a breach of public trust with lakhs of young Indians who chose dialogue over protests. Such breach of trust will be completely unacceptable to the youth,” it said.🚨STATEMENTWe are deeply concerned by multiple reports reaching us of students and other protestors being targeted, detained, or arrested by various state agencies, particularly in Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar.The Cockroach Janta Party had called off its nationwide protest…— Saurav Das (@SauravDassss) July 27, 2026While the brutal police violence to suppress the largely peaceful youth protest in Delhi on July 20 was widely reported and documented, in subsequent days, several reports surfaced of illegal detentions and arrests against people protesting in solidarity with the students in other states, even as the Union government assured that no such cases would be registered in NDA-ruled states.The CJP has warned that if the FIRs against protesters are not withdrawn, and students are not released, they will stage another protest.Dear @JPNadda @DrJitendraSingh ji,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/harrassed in Delhi and other states. Multiple…— Ashutosh Ranka (@AshutoshRanka) July 27, 2026BiharIn Bihar, nearly 450 people have been arrested in connection with a statewide shutdown called on Saturday, ahead of the resignation of the Union education minister, according to a report by Prabhat Khabar. Per the daily, police have released photographs and posters of identified protesters in several districts, including Patna.In Patna, where police cracked down on protesters, those arrested also included former minister and Janshakthi Janta Dal (JJD) leader Tej Pratap Yadav and CPI(ML) MLA Sandeep Saurabh.In Siwan, on Saturday, youth protests turned violent as demonstrators clashed with the police, ahead of the news of Pradhan’s resignation. According to The Hindu, police initially used tear gas and lathicharge to disperse the protesters but amid reports of stone-pelting, the police reportedly opened fire at the protesters. Per the report, action has been taken against the cops who were seen firing AK-47 at the protesters.At least three protesters were injured in police firing, while several police personnel were injured during the stone pelting.Meanwhile, on Thursday, visuals widely circulating on social media point police in Jehanabad had reportedly opened fire when the protests turned violent.All India Students’ Association president Neha Bora had acknowledged this saying a witch-hunt was underway across the country against those who were part of the movements against paper leaks.West BengalIn West Bengal, the Suvendu Adhikari government invoked the new ‘anti-Goonda’ law, which allows preventive detention for up to 12 months without trial, as protests turned violent in central Kolkata.The Wire has reported how violence unfolded on July 24 and how the chief minister chose to invoke the religion-coded expression “Friday people”, while announcing the first application of the new law.Trouble broke out after the largely peaceful procession reached Dorina Crossing. There, shoes, bottles and bricks were thrown at police and several journalists were also allegedly targeted. However, Left student organisations have alleged that people linked to the ruling establishment had entered the procession to engineer violence.Subsequently, the Kolkata police said 70 people had been identified and seven cases, six at Hare Street police station and one at Entally, had been registered. “It was those Friday people who did this,” Adhikari said, in an apparent reference to Muslims, who pray on Fridays. Almost all those arrested were Muslims.Some reports suggest that the arrests could be higher in number.AssamIn Assam’s Lakhimpur district, three young men were arrested by the police on July 23 for trying to organise a protest in support of the countrywide youth movement. The arrested – Monjur Rahman (23), Ashraful Islam (21), and Abdul Kashem(23) – residents of Islampur village, had created a WhatsApp group to organise a peaceful demonstration in support of the movement which has now led to the resignation of Pradhan.Families of the three youth told The Wire that before their arrest, they had sought permission from the police to hold the protest but the authorities had denied permission.They have been charged with allegations to endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, including incitement to secession, armed rebellion, or separatist activities.Instances from other statesAccording to a report by The Hindu, a social media content creator was booked in Madhya Pradesh’s Niwari district for allegedly using “highly abusive” language against Pradhan, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Delhi Police in a video clip amid the protests. Yashpal Soni, a local social media influencer, was booked on July 23 over an Instagram reel. He was booked under 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 led by its block president Kamlesh Chourasiya. The Ghaziabad police in Uttar Pradesh had detained family members of Muhammad Junaid, a CJP volunteer who had been providing food, water and other support to the protesters in Delhi since June 6. According to a report by Lallantop, the police had also seized their personal documents in an effort to locate him. However, the CJP later clarified that his family was safe and out of detention.Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has reportedly ordered social media platforms to remove purportedly objectionable posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared during the youth protest. It is being reported that the crackdown on online posts and accounts may have already begun.