'I won't stop fighting,' says 'cockroach' protester after alleged detention

"I won't stop fighting," declared Mohammad Junaid, a prominent figure in the recent "cockroach" protests, following his alleged detention. Junaid (right), a recognizable volunteer in the CJP protests led by Abhijeet Dipke (left), learned early in life that education held the power to transform one's destiny.

His parents, neither of whom had attended school or could read or write, cultivated a small plot of land outside Ghaziabad in northern India. Yet, they spoke of "ilm," the Urdu word for knowledge, with profound reverence. They instilled in their children the unwavering belief that, above all else, they would pursue education, viewing it as the most precious gift they could bestow.

This foundational belief, the 24-year-old law student explains, is what propelled him to help organize one of India's largest student protests in recent memory. Now, he has petitioned India's Supreme Court, alleging unlawful detention due to his involvement.

Junaid claims police apprehended him the day before the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest concluded, subjected him to overnight questioning, and released him the following day. His petition is currently awaiting a hearing.

The alleged actions against Junaid have drawn condemnation from opposition politicians and civil liberties organizations, while CJP leaders accuse authorities of targeting volunteers. The Delhi Police has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

Junaid's petition emerges amidst broader allegations of a police crackdown. Protesters in Delhi and other states have reported unlawful detentions. The Supreme Court has instructed authorities to refrain from coercive actions against protesters without criminal records while the case proceeds. The CJP has warned of resuming its strike if the cases against protesters are withdrawn.

This turn of events is unexpected for Junaid, who, until recently, never envisioned himself as an activist, he told the BBC.

When the CJP initially called for students to gather at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in June to protest irregularities in a crucial medical entrance examination, Junaid packed lightly, anticipating only a single day's stay. He remained for six weeks.

As the protest evolved into a broader campaign for accountability, Junaid became an integral part of a small group of volunteers who sustained it. Though never a leader of the movement, his consistent presence—organizing food, water, and shelter—quickly made him a familiar face among protesters.

"Now I want to spend my life fighting for that," he stated. "I will not stop."

Junaid (third from left) stayed at the protest site for weeks, collaborating with other volunteers and protesters. On the first night, he recounted, hundreds of students decided to stay at the site despite limited drinking water, no sleeping arrangements, and little planning for the future.

He began collecting donations for bottled water, then snacks and meals. By the next evening, he was sourcing blankets and places for exhausted students to rest. He drew upon his experience volunteering during the 2020 farmers' protests.

"The CJP people were full of passion," he said. "They brought their will. I brought some order."

As weeks passed, the protest developed its own routines. Farmers delivered vegetables, Gurdwaras sent cooked meals, and people arrived with medicines, bottled water, and fruit. At one point, volunteers stopped asking where supplies should go. "They'd just say, 'Give it to Junaid'," he recalled.

The work was relentless; he estimates he slept only a few hours most nights. Yet, the conversations left a lasting impression. Parents traveled from across India, carrying folders with examination papers, admit cards, and other documents. Some spoke of loans taken to pay for coaching classes.

Junaid remembered one couple who came to the protest on what would have been their daughter's birthday. They shared that she had died by suicide after the examination paper leaked, and they spent the day distributing food to protesters in her memory.

Each story resonated with his own upbringing, reminding him of his parents' unwavering belief in education as a gateway to opportunity. Junaid often finds himself offering his younger brother the same advice: read extensively, study diligently, and never take education for granted.

"After hearing those stories," he reflected, "I realized it wasn't just about me anymore."

Police cracked down heavily on protesters on July 20 as thousands tried to march to parliament. On July 20, thousands of demonstrators defied a police ban and marched towards parliament, where they were met with tear gas, baton charges, and mass detentions.

Junaid spent hours trying to locate missing students, find drinking water, attend to the injured, and help frightened protesters return to camp. He described being shaken by the sight of students who had arrived with little more than hope returning bruised, coughing, and terrified.

"That day broke something inside me," he said. "After that, I knew I couldn't just walk away."

Five days later, following the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the CJP declared victory and called off the protest. Volunteers packed away the remaining supplies, exchanged farewell hugs, and began making plans to return home.

Junaid's own story took a different turn. Hours before the protest concluded, he claims he was detained after leaving a hospital where he had sought treatment for a stray dog bite. He alleges he was questioned extensively about his role in the protest. In his plea, he also claims officers blindfolded him en route to the police station.

The petition further alleges that police targeted Junaid's family, stating his father was "picked up" from their Ghaziabad home on July 23 and questioned for hours before officers searched the house the next day, damaging furniture and demanding IDs and bank details of relatives. Ghaziabad Police denied these allegations, telling the BBC they had only questioned his father without providing further details.

As social media was flooded with videos of jubilant supporters, another clip—of Junaid breaking down during an interview—went viral. The experience, he says, led him to question something else.

Throughout the protest, religion had rarely been a topic of discussion. "Nobody asked whether you were Hindu or Muslim," he stated. "We were just students and volunteers." It was only after the detention, he says, that he began to wonder if his Muslim name had influenced how he was perceived. He acknowledges having no evidence to support this, but the thought has persisted. The BBC has reached out to police for comment.

In recent years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has faced criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties regarding what they describe as the increasing marginalization of Muslims, India's largest religious minority. The government has consistently rejected these accusations.

When Junaid returned home the next day, his parents urged him not to rejoin any future student protests. They had spent their lives believing education would improve their son's life. Instead, he says, it led to trouble with the police.

However, Junaid views it as a "small sacrifice" in a larger struggle. If students return to the streets, he affirmed, so will he.