The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that it has no information to share regarding allegations of foreign funding or external involvement in the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led protests over the NEET-UG paper leak, while also issuing a clarification debunking misleading social media posts that falsely attributed statements to its official spokesperson.
During a weekly media briefing on July 25, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was asked whether the Ministry was examining reports circulating on social media alleging foreign funding, foreign involvement and links with Pakistan in connection with the ongoing protests in Delhi and other parts of the country. In response, the spokesperson stated that the Ministry had no information on the issue to share at that stage.
Subsequently, on July 26, the MEA’s Fact Check Unit issued a clarification on social media after a viral post falsely claimed that the spokesperson had stated that intelligence agencies had found no foreign funding behind the CJP protests. The Ministry described the post as misleading and said it had misrepresented the spokesperson’s remarks.
It clarified that the official response was limited to stating that the Ministry had no information to share regarding the allegations and that no conclusion had been expressed on the existence or absence of foreign funding.
The clarification also addressed other viral social media posts alleging that the MEA had ruled out funding from Pakistan or the involvement of Chinese agents in the protests. The Ministry stated that these claims were also false and amounted to a misrepresentation of the official briefing.
The protests, which began at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 20 and later spread to several parts of the country, were organised by the CJP over repeated examination paper leaks, including the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. The demonstrators initially sought the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and comprehensive reforms to the examination system.
Following Pradhan’s resignation on July 25 and the Centre’s reported acceptance of several demands, the CJP called off its agitation after more than five weeks. However, demands relating to systemic examination reforms, action against police personnel over the alleged use of excessive force and withdrawal of criminal cases against protesters continue to remain subjects of public debate and pending litigation.
Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation has been filed before the Delhi High Court seeking registration of an FIR and an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the CJP protests and the “Chalo Sansad” march organised over the alleged NEET paper leak.
The petitioner, Satish Kumar Aggarwal, former Vice-President of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, has alleged that what began as a student protest later evolved into a politically influenced agitation involving activists, political leaders and allegedly foreign-funded organisations.
The petition contends that prolonged demonstrations and road blockades disrupted public movement in the national capital and caused inconvenience to commuters. It further alleges that Sonam Wangchuk subsequently joined the agitation and commenced a hunger strike, and refers to publicly available material concerning his alleged associations with certain foreign organisations and funding institutions. According to the petitioner, these allegations require investigation by the competent authorities.
Referring to the events of July 20, the plea alleges that the “Chalo Sansad” march from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament was a pre-planned mobilisation linked to the demand for the resignation of the Union Education Minister over the alleged NEET paper leak. On this basis, the petitioner has sought a court-monitored investigation by the NIA into the alleged conspiracy, funding pattern and organisational structure behind the protests.
Separately, the Union Government has also undertaken fact-checking measures during the protests. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit identified and flagged several AI-generated deepfake videos and misleading social media content allegedly circulated by Pakistan-based handles, claiming that such fabricated material had the potential to inflame public sentiment and spread misinformation during the protests.
The controversy over the alleged foreign funding of the CJP protests has also gained political significance after allegations were raised in public discourse regarding the educational background and international associations of CJP founder Abhijit Dipke. However, no official investigating agency has publicly confirmed any foreign funding or external involvement in the protests, and the MEA has maintained that it has no information to share on the issue.
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