Protest Called Off After Supreme Court Assurance
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called off its planned September 5 protest march in Delhi after receiving assurances from the Centre over its pending demands, according to reports. The party had earlier announced a march from India Gate to the Delhi Police Headquarters, citing the government’s failure to fulfil commitments made after its July protest.
CJP co-convenor Saurav Das appeared before a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana to inform the court about the decision, as reported by Deccan Chronicle.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged the top court to use its powers to close all FIRs against NEET protesters between July 20 and July 25 across the country. He told the bench that the Centre is committed to honouring the assurance given to CJP leaders and to provide compensation to the families of students who ended their lives after the cancellation of the NEET exam. Mehta said the court will pay compensation to the families and sought three months to work out the modalities.
The CJP had called for the protest march on September 5, which is Teachers' Day. It had accused the Centre of failing to honour promises made on July 25, which were intended to persuade the group to withdraw its 36-day agitation against irregularities in exams and the NEET paper leak. According to the party, the march was to be led by families of students who committed suicide following the cancellation of the NEET exam and the subsequent re-test, as well as those allegedly subjected to police excesses during the July agitation.
Broader Context: Other Stories Making Headlines
While the CJP's decision dominated institutional news, other stories were also in the spotlight. Reports noted that Australian politician and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns played gully cricket with local children at Delhi's Asha Community Centre during his visit. A video featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelling together went viral on Instagram.
Prime Minister Modi also urged Indians to embrace Swadeshi by avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, overseas weddings, and gold purchases. He encouraged people to opt for local products and services and promoted the idea of "Wed in India" instead of spending on destination weddings abroad, as reported by Indiatimes.
In entertainment, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran are set to face off in Meghna Gulzar's upcoming crime thrillerDaayra, whose trailer has been released. Netflix is set to premiere a documentary titledInstadocs: The Decoy Plane, exploring Donald Trump's secret plane switch following the NATO summit in Turkey. Actress Swara Bhaskar also faced social media controversy after revisiting her criticism of the Padmaavat jauhar sequence.
In box office news, the devotional dramaHanuman Ansh recorded the second-highest fourth Monday collection of all time, collecting approximately ₹5.5 crore net in India on its fourth Monday, according to Indiatimes.