Launching a sharp attack on the registration of a criminal case against a woman accused of making abusive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the party's recent protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das said those aggrieved should pursue defamation proceedings instead of invoking the criminal justice system.
Responding to the Zero FIR against Ruchika Singh, Das said that while objectionable or derogatory language should not be condoned, criminal prosecution over such remarks would have a chilling effect on free speech. "If any language used was derogatory in nature, then the person concerned is free to pursue civil and criminal defamation proceedings against the individual concerned. However, the use of the criminal justice machinery against protesters is highly condemnable, and no one should be punished merely for using objectionable language," Das said.
He added that while the language used might be offensive to some, it did not justify invoking the criminal justice system. "While the language used might be wrong, and it may be objectionable to someone, there is no reason to invoke the criminal justice machinery against such people. It creates a chilling effect. I don't think this is acceptable to anybody, especially the younger generation," he said.
The remarks came after a Zero FIR was registered against Ruchika Singh for allegedly making "abusive and objectionable" remarks against the Prime Minister during the NEET-UG paper leak protest at Jantar Mantar on July 23.
Appealing to young protesters to exercise restraint, Saurav Das urged them to be mindful of the language they use while expressing dissent, but maintained that criminal prosecution in such cases was disproportionate. "I would request the younger generation to be very careful about the words they use and the kind of insults or remarks they make against people in general. That said, the use of the criminal justice machinery is a big no-no. It is completely unacceptable and should not happen. We would also like to tell the police to remain calm and not misuse their powers for any political ends," he said.
Reiterating his stand in a post on X later on Friday, Saurav Das described the case as a misuse of police powers and argued that law enforcement should focus on lawmakers facing criminal cases rather than a young protester. "The police can focus their energy towards them, not a 25-year-old! Harassment of the young must stop immediately!"
The Zero FIR was registered on July 29 at the Expressway Police Station in Gautam Buddh Nagar on a complaint filed by Ghaziabad resident Smriti Singh. According to the complaint, the accused's remarks allegedly hurt the dignity of the constitutional office of the Prime Minister and were intended to incite ill-will, spread hatred and disturb public peace.
Based on the complaint, police booked the woman under Sections 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 353(1) (statements conducing to public mischief) and 356(1) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A Zero FIR allows any police station to register a complaint regardless of where the alleged offence took place, ensuring that an investigation is not delayed due to jurisdictional issues.
The case stems from the student-led CJP agitation over the NEET-UG paper leak and alleged examination irregularities at Jantar Mantar. The 36-day protest concluded on July 25 following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan after the Centre accepted the party's key demands.
