Don't Waste Our Time": Supreme Court Refuses Urgent Hearing on Plea Against Police Action on CJP Student Protesters
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| Express photo by Praveen Khanna |
NEW DELHI — In a major legal setback for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and the thousands of students protesting in the national capital, the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday outrightly refused to grant an urgent listing to a petition challenging the recent, highly controversial Delhi Police crackdown.
The terse courtroom exchange occurred just days after the CJP’s massive 'Chalo Sansad' (March to Parliament) rally descended into chaos on July 20. The march, strategically organized on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, was met with a heavy police response, including lathi charges and tear gas, leaving dozens of young protesters and security personnel injured.
"We Don't Have Time to Watch Videos"
The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohana.
The petitioner's counsel aggressively pushed for an immediate hearing, arguing that the plea addressed the critical issue of excessive police brutality unleashed against unarmed students. The lawyer also highlighted that the core of the protests centered around issues affecting millions of Indian youths, specifically the demand for a fair re-conduct of the NEET examination and massive structural reforms within the National Testing Agency (NTA).
However, the Chief Justice was visibly unimpressed by the request for an expedited timeline. Cutting the lawyer short, CJI Surya Kant bluntly stated, "Don't waste our time, and don't waste your time."
When the lawyer persisted, offering to present direct video evidence purportedly showing police personnel assaulting unarmed students and Gen Z demonstrators, the bench firmly shut the door on the submission.
"We are not interested in videos; we don't have time to watch... We don't want to watch videos," the Chief Justice remarked, officially declining the urgent listing.
Echoing the Delhi High Court
Wednesday's Supreme Court refusal mirrors a similar judicial stance taken earlier in the week. On Tuesday, July 21, the Delhi High Court also declined to urgently entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding the exact same police action.
Presiding over that matter, Delhi High Court Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya had similarly dismissed the request for immediate circulation, orally remarking to the petitioners: "Don't drag the Court into all this. It will come up tomorrow."
The refusal of the apex courts to intervene urgently means the petitions will now have to navigate the standard, much slower judicial process, offering no immediate legal reprieve for the protesting students currently facing police FIRs.
The July 20 Crackdown and Its Aftermath
The legal appeals stem from the violent events of Monday, July 20. Following a weeks-long sit-in and hunger strike at Jantar Mantar spearheaded by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and prominent environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, thousands of students attempted to march towards the Parliament complex to demand the immediate resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Delhi Police, citing the enforcement of prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS and the lack of official permission for the march, deployed multi-layered barricades and an internet shutdown across central Delhi to halt the procession. When a large contingent of protesters breached the initial blockades, the police resorted to firing tear gas shells and initiating a severe baton charge.
While the CJP alleges unprovoked brutality against peaceful students—resulting in roughly 100 injuries treated across local hospitals like RML and Lady Hardinge—the Delhi Police maintain that the crowd turned aggressive, resorting to stone-pelting and vandalism that injured over 118 security personnel. Consequently, the police have registered multiple FIRs across various stations, including Connaught Place and Parliament Street, charging protesters with rioting and assaulting public servants.
The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene on an emergency basis adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing education crisis. While the CJP's demands for the Education Minister's resignation and systemic NTA reforms continue to echo on the streets and across social media, the protesting youth must now brace for a protracted legal battle without the immediate protection of the nation's highest courts.
Our Final Thoughts
The Supreme Court's blunt "don't waste our time" dismissal is a harsh reality check for the CJP and its supporters. While the viral videos of police using tear gas and batons on young students generated massive online sympathy and political outrage, the judiciary operates on strict procedural protocols, not social media optics. By refusing to fast-track the hearings or review the video evidence immediately, the courts are signaling a reluctance to step into what is rapidly becoming a highly volatile, politicized law-and-order situation. For the CJP, the focus must now shift to providing long-term legal aid to the students facing serious rioting charges, as the fight for NEET reforms transitions from the streets into the slow grind of the courtroom.