Supreme Court declines to restrict Cockroach Janta Party march in Delhi

The Supreme Court of India on Monday declined to interfere with a proposed protest march by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) scheduled for September 5 in Delhi. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant stated that there were no compelling circumstances to presume the mobilization would turn violent and expressed confidence that participants would behave in a peaceful and lawful manner. The court ruled that the responsibility for maintaining law and order rests with the Centre and the Delhi government, noting that such matters fall outside the court's immediate judicial domain.

The decision follows a petition filed by retired Delhi police officer Rajendra Singh and Shivam Upadhyay. The petitioners sought restrictions on large scale demonstrations in security sensitive areas of Lutyens' Delhi, including India Gate and Central Vista. They specifically requested that the march be postponed until after the BRICS Summit, which is scheduled for September 12 and 13, arguing that any unrest could attract negative international attention.

The CJP has called for the march from India Gate to the Delhi Police headquarters. According to reports, the group claims the Union government failed to honor commitments made on July 25. This follows a period of unrest beginning June 6 over the alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations, which led to protests and the eventual resignation of the Union education minister on July 25.

While the court refused to stop the march, it indicated that the matter could be brought back before the bench if an alarming situation arose that fell within the court's core judicial domain. The case is scheduled to be heard again on September 10.