New Delhi, July 31 -- The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Friday criticised the registration of an FIR against a woman accused of using abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the July 23 protest at Jantar Mantar, alleging that authorities were applying different standards while dealing with similar incidents involving BJP leaders and members of the party's IT Cell.

The remarks came a day after police booked a Faridabad-based woman on charges including intentional insult, public mischief and defamation following a complaint filed by a Ghaziabad resident. The complaint referred to videos purportedly showing the woman using abusive language against the Prime Minister during the demonstration. A zero FIR was initially registered in Noida on Thursday before being transferred to Parliament Street Police Station in New Delhi, which has jurisdiction over the matter.

In a video message, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke questioned why criminal proceedings had been initiated in the present case while, according to him, no comparable action had been taken against BJP leaders or the party's IT Cell over alleged abusive remarks directed at women. "If you're filing cases over the use of abusive language, then when will cases be filed against the BJP's IT Cell, whose members have been hurling vile abuses at women online for so many years?" Dipke said. Alleging that women have repeatedly faced online abuse, he claimed many individuals associated with the BJP's IT Cell displayed "followed by PM Modi" in their social media profiles while continuing to post offensive content.

Dipke also referred to BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's past remarks in Parliament and claimed there was a video showing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath allegedly using abusive language towards an NRI cameraperson. He argued that if abusive language alone was the basis for criminal prosecution, similar legal action should be taken in all such cases.

"Are there two different sets of laws? One law for the youth and another for the BJP and its leaders?" he asked. While stating that abusive language may be inappropriate, Dipke questioned whether it should invite criminal prosecution. "Using abusive language is not a crime. It may be wrong and inappropriate, but people can be counselled instead of being prosecuted," he said, adding that if such a standard were applied uniformly, the BJP's IT Cell and several party leaders would face the highest number of cases.

Backing Dipke's remarks, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka shared on X a video that he said was the one referred to by the party founder and wrote, "FIR. FIR. FIR," while demanding similar legal action. Earlier in the day, another CJP spokesperson, Saurav Das, described the FIR as a "misuse of criminal machinery" and alleged that the criminal justice system was being used to harass protesters.

"Profanity does not attract criminal case... The Police can focus their energy towards those with serious criminal cases, not a 25-year-old. Harassment of the young must STOP immediately!" Das wrote on X. Speaking to media, he added that using abusive language had never been treated as a criminal offence in ordinary circumstances and questioned the decision to invoke criminal law in the present case.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.