The Supreme Court on Monday (August 31, 2026) refused to pass orders on a plea seeking prohibition on a protest march the Cockroach Janata Party has called on September 5, saying it expects everybody will act and behave in a peaceful and lawful manner.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana asked the petitioner to submit his petition to the High Powered Enquiry Committee formed by it to examine allegations of police violence during the NEET protests.

“Let the matter be listed along with pending petitions. To be heard on September 10,” the bench said, issuing notice in the matter.

“They are expected to maintain law and order, and the enforcing agency has the responsibility to maintain law and order, saying what is illegal and what is permissible. We are expecting them to act within that framework. From both sides, we are expecting that they will respect, they will conduct themselves and they will follow the law of the land,” the bench said.

The CJP has called for a protest march in Delhi, accusing the Centre of failing to honour the promises made on July 25 to persuade the group to withdraw its 36-day agitation against examination irregularities.

The city police earlier said it had not received any request for a procession from India Gate to the Delhi Police Headquarters, despite the CJP announcing plans for one.

The plea, filed by retired Delhi Police officer Rajendra Singh, seeks a direction that no public call for large-scale mobilisation, march or organised demonstration in security-sensitive constitutional zones, including India Gate, Central Vista and adjoining areas, be acted upon unless the organisers have first obtained the requisite permissions.

It also seeks a direction that any proposed mobilisation in Lutyens’ Delhi be regulated, deferred or suitably modified until after the conclusion of the BRICS Summit scheduled for September 12-13.

The plea further seeks a direction that no march or procession proceed beyond the authorised limits except in accordance with lawful permissions and the regulatory framework governing the concerned area.

The CJP march is scheduled to take place on Teachers’ Day and would be led by families of students who committed suicide following the cancellation of the NEET earlier this year and the subsequent re-test, as well as those who were subjected to police excesses during the July agitation.

In the first widespread communications blackout in Delhi since the farmers’ agitation in 2021, mobile internet was switched off throughout Central Delhi, even as demonstrators poured into Jantar Mantar and security forces were dispersing them with force. The shutdown impeded the flow of visuals from the area, including by media at the scene. Protesters and journalists alike resorted to nearby establishments’ WiFi hotspots.

Mobile internet shutdowns are an extraordinary step in controlling unrest and are overall on the decline in the last two years. The government’s decision to shut down mobile internet till the evening drew condemnation from the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) and the Software Freedom Law Centre, India (SFLC).

Security has been further intensified across the New Delhi district ahead of the Monsoon session of Parliament and the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) proposed “Chalo Sansad” march.

Also read: Jantar Mantar protest updates on July 19, 2026

The Delhi Police has deployed additional personnel, strengthened barricading and is conducting intensive vehicle checks at key entry points, sources said on Sunday (July 19, 2026).

Preventive deployment will remain in place throughout the Parliament session, police added.

Several entry points have been converted into high-security zones with multi-layered barricades, enhanced surveillance, anti-sabotage checks and round-the-clock patrolling in New Delhi, Central Delhi and parts of North Delhi, they said.

A senior police source said elaborate preventive arrangements have been made to ensure law and order during the Parliament session.

“Every vehicle entering the New Delhi district is being thoroughly checked. Additional pickets have been set up at strategic locations, and reserve forces have been kept on standby. CCTV surveillance has also been intensified across sensitive areas,” the source said.

Security has been strengthened around Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Central Vista, Connaught Place, Shankar Chowk and other key installations, while rapid response teams have been positioned to respond to any contingency.

The heightened vigil comes amid fresh developments at the protest site, where CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke continued his indefinite hunger strike after activist Sonam Wangchuk was whisked away on Saturday (July 18, 2026) to the Safdarjung Hospital.

Mr. Wangchuk issued a message from the hospital urging supporters to participate in the proposed July 20 march.

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was allegedly manhandled and slapped by some people during a protest in Jaipur on Monday, triggering chaos and a brief struggle at the venue. Police detained two youths in connection with the incident.

Supporters were carrying Mr. Dipke on their shoulders when the alleged incident took place. The demonstration, attended by a large number of youths, was organised at Shaheed Smarak to protest over the issues of the alleged NEET paper leak, unemployment and corruption.

When Mr. Dipke arrived at the protest site and was being carried on supporters’ shoulders, some miscreants in the crowd allegedly manhandled him, slapped him multiple times and attempted to pull him down. Mr. Dipke’s supporters caught hold of the accused and assaulted them before the police intervened.

‘A sign of fear’

As tempers ran high during the chaos, Mr. Dipke attempted to calm the situation and appealed to the protesters not to assault the individuals involved in the attack. The CJP founder said physical attacks were a sign of “fear and cowardice”. “I am a follower of Gandhi and Ambedkar, and I will keep fighting this battle with peace and love,” he said.

In a video message released on his X account, Mr. Dipke urged his supporters not to get distracted from the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. He said the attack was a tactic to threaten the CJP and divert attention from the real issues, and added, “To the haters, I want to say ‘get well soon’!”

During the protest, the youths carried banners and placards and raised slogans demanding Mr. Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in major examinations such as NEET, CBSE, CUET and SSC.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Dipke criticised the handling of education-related issues and questioned the remarks of a Rajasthan Minister who had described the NEET paper leak as “no big deal’’. He also cited the collapse of a government school building in Jhalawar last year, in which seven students were killed.

The police had initially refused permission for the demonstration, citing the law and order situation, but later granted a conditional approval. The event was allowed with restrictions, including a limit on the number of participants to 800, compliance with the noise pollution rules, and not taking out a rally from the venue.