ON AUGUST 1, a Supreme Court (‘SC’) bench headed by Chief Justice of India (‘CJI’) Surya Kant in an unprecedented order quashed all First Information Reports (‘FIRs’) registered against students who participated in the Cockroach Janta Party-led protests across the country between July 20 and 25, 2026. It is worthwhile to flag that the BJP-led government at the centre and the governments of BJP ruled states in Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Maharashtra approached the Supreme Court for quashing of FIRs by invoking Article 142 of the Constitution which mandates the SC to pass any order to do ‘complete justice’.
It is instructive that the SC in this significant order categorically noted that the governments of the aforementioned BJP ruled states, as also BJP led Government at the Centre, approached the Court for quashing the FIRs “as a gesture of good will and to ensure that the subject FIRs do not cause any prejudice to the young students who participated in the peaceful protests, and also as an acknowledgement of the fact that mere participation in the protests is not taken as an offence under the penal laws…”
It also noted that the decision was taken to quash the FIRs not only because of the requests of Union Government and some of the State Governments but “…most importantly, keeping in view the future prospects of the young protesters, who bonafidely came to participate in a peaceful protest to raise their voice in favour of certain demands.”
It is thus crystal clear that SC categorically stated twice that protests launched by students on the issue of irregularities in the NEET-UG were peaceful and it also unequivocally stated the well settled constitutional stand point that “mere participation in the protests is not taken as an offence under the penal laws…”
The Court’s observations expose the caustic remarks made by several BJP leaders’ including those by former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who before his resignation had described the protestors as the “B-team of terrorists”.
The protests launched at Jantar Mantar demanding accountability from the Modi government and Pradhan’s resignation eventually succeeded in forcing him to quit office. The Supreme Court’s quashing of FIRs, on the request of the Union and other BJP governments in the aforementioned states, again came in the wake of CJP’s notice of a fresh protest march on September 5, Teachers’ Day, from India Gate to the New Delhi Police Headquarters, accusing the Centre of failing to honour its commitments to quash the FIRs and compensate the families of 21 students who died by suicide following the NEET-UG paper leaks.
The unmistakable message signalled by the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan and quashing of FIRs is that the ruling regime has been eventually forced by public reasoning generated by the massive country wide protests against rapidly falling standards of education and the collapse of integrity of the examination system.
During protests launched by farmers against the three farm laws in 2021, the Prime Minister had ridiculed the protestors by calling them as “andolan jeevis”. “This community will be spotted at any agitation, be it an agitation by lawyers, students, or labourers – explicitly or implicitly, this community will reach there. They cannot live without andolan and constantly look for reasons to protest,” he had remarked.
But at last, due to the persistent protests of farmers, lasting for a year, he was compelled to tender an apology and repeal those laws.
It is clear that the power of peaceful protest based on robust reasoning and mass mobilisation has humbled the present regime in India.
The compelling impact of such protest was manifested when Leader of Opposition, in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, who sat in dharna demanding registration of an FIR on the issue of firing of pellet guns against peaceful protestors demanding resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.
The SC mentioned in its order that protests launched by students were peaceful and yet the protestors confronted pellet guns and neither the Union Home Minister nor Prime Minister made a statement on that matter in both the Houses of Parliament during the recently concluded monsoon session of the apex legislature. The Dharna of the Leader of Opposition demanding an FIR on the issue of pellet gun injury is indicative of the sad state of our governance system.
Echoes of Ambedkar and Gandhi
The students protesting at Jantar Mantar and in many parts of India invoked Ambedkar, recited recurrently “Jai Bheem,” “Victory to Ambedkar” and his iconic slogan “Educate, Agitate and Organise.”
Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen in their book ‘An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions,’ wrote that in the slogan “Educate, Agitate and Organise,” “education” precedes “agitation” and “organisation.” In doing so, they argued, Ambedkar was stressing on informed and reasoned public engagement. Very persuasively they stated that the slogan of Ambedkar deepens public reasoning which in turn contribute to deepen democracy.
The protests of students, apart from removing the element of fear from the minds of people to engage themselves in agitation, has paved the way for holding the Government to account. And the fact that the BJP led Government at the center and several BJP Governments of other States have approached the Supreme Court to quash the FIRs filed against protestors vindicate the duty of citizens to peacefully resist the regime and to make it answerable to people.
As early as January 24, 1929, Mahatma Gandhi wrote an article, “Duty of Resistance’ in Young India. In it, he supported the students of a college in Gujarat, who called for strike on account of the coercive action taken by its Principal denying them to appear in an examination because they had participated in Simon Commission Go Back agitation in 1927. The principal alleged that action of the students against the British regime might cause its downfall in India. Gandhi expressing solidarity with the students wrote that article, “Duty of Resistance” which later became the central theme of freedom struggle leading eventually to the end of British rule.
The resilient protests by students at Jantar Mantar demanding accountability of the Government was evocative of Mahatma Gandhi’s 1929 utterances on “Duty of Resistance”. It is heartening that ninety seven years later the Supreme Court in its order has upheld the duty of resistance of students and, among others, quashed the FIRs against them. It constitutes a resounding victory for constitutional values and constitutional morality.
Justice Muralidhar while delivering the D.S. Borker memorial lecture on August 24, 2026 praised the Gen Z-led protests in July this year as proof that young Indians remain committed to truth, compassion, and holding power accountable. “The recent protests by our Gen Z,” he said, “assure us that democracy in India will not be allowed to die and that people will turn to the Constitution and safeguard it in order to preserve this country’s future.” “The week of 20th July this year was one of relief and joy. It was reassuring to know that our young generation will not be swayed by rhetoric and propaganda, by powerful oratory reminiscent of the goebbelsian polemic, and empty promises of acche din and viksit bharat. They remained undeterred by the demonising of the dimagi naxal. It told us that this generation values giving, compassion and adherence to truth. It does not hesitate to ask questions of those in power. Above all, it is soul-satisfying to know that Gen Z has a wonderful sense of humour. The irreverence of the Gen Z is a sure sign of democratic progress,” he said.