India news: Activists decry AI surveillance at CJP protests
Deutsche Welle · LC · trust 38/100
A suit has been brought alleging mass surveillance and data collection of "Cockroach" movement protesters. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/5HrfY India has no law governing the use of facial recognition technology by police Image: Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times/Sipa USA/picture alliance Advertisement Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know A student activist has appealed Delhi's High Court to declare mass surveillance of protesters unconstitutional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the Indian police's conduct during the CJP protest The Assam and Bihar governments have agreed to drop charges against some protesters Here is a roundup of the biggest headlines from India on Tuesday, July 28:
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07/28/2026 July 28, 2026 Bihar, Assam to withdraw cases against protesters Hours after the CJP issued a statement over a breach of their demand to withdraw police cases against protesters — the ruling BJP’s Bihar and Assam governments said that all such charges will be dropped and protesters detained before 6 pm on July 26 will be released.
The party's West Bengal government, however, has not given any such assurances.
Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh had assured the the party that no action would be taken against peaceful protesters, news agency PTI reported.
In a press release issued by the Home and Political Department the Assam government said five cases had been registered in Assam in connection with the protests, leading to the arrest of 13 people.
"No adverse legal action will be initiated by any of the Police authorities within the State against those persons who have been involved in these protests," the press release said.
The statement said that the process of withdrawing the registered cases, irrespective of the stage of proceedings within Assam, will be initiated promptly as per law.
According to the police, altogether 694 people had been detained for participating in the protests in Bihar .
The Bihar government also announced that it will withdraw all cases lodged against protesters over the NEET paper leak and release those jailed under various charges.
India: Cockroach movement protesters want Modi's resignation To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
07/28/2026 July 28, 2026 Probe finds RAF personnel were issued pellet guns during CJP protest An internal inquiry has found that at least a dozen personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were issued pellet guns on the morning of July 20 to quell the CJP protests.
The weapons were withdrawn on July 23 after allegations that they were used to harm the protesters , according to a report by Indian newspaper The Hindustan Times.
RAF is a specialized unit within the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed to handle riots and other public disturbances across the country.
Reportedly, five people have alleged that they were hit with pellets on July 20.
The probe has quoted a CRPF inspector as saying that he didn’t issue any order to fire the pellet guns, the officials cited above added.
However, a general diary entry filed at Parliament Street police station reveals that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) fired two rounds from an anti-riot gun on the directions of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) rank officer of the police, as reported by the Indian newspaper The Hindu .
India's Cockroach movement alleges police brutality To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Published 07/28/2026 Published July 28, 2026 last updated 07/28/2026 last updated July 28, 2026 Modi government faces challenge from activists over AI use at CJP protest Activists in India have challenged Narendra Modi's government over the use of AI-powered surveillance during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest.
The controversy erupted when protesters and media reports showed a police surveillance van equipped with cameras on a telescopic mast providing a 360-degree view of the gathering.
Student activist Aishe Ghosh has asked the Delhi High Court to declare mass surveillance of protesters unconstitutional.
She also wants the court to order the destruction of all personal data collected during the CJP demonstration.
India has no law governing the use of facial recognition technology by police and surveillance at the main protest site in New Delhi was a breach of the law, activists say.
During the case's hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the Indian police conduct, saying privacy claims at a public gathering were "ironical" and the checks were "absolutely necessary" and "in legitimate state interest."
Delhi police crack down on student protests To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
07/28/2026 July 28, 2026 Welcome to our coverage Midhat Fatimah | Elizabeth Schumacher Editor Hello! This is Midhat from the New Delhi bureau bringing you the latest news from India .
After witnessing one of the biggest protests in years, people in India woke up to the aftermath of the demonsrations as mass arrests, detentions, and government surveillance made their way to the headlines.
Activists in India have challenged the Indian government over the use of AI-powered surveillance during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests.
However, some state governments have said that the charges against the protesters will be dropped.
Meanwhile, an internal probe has revealed security personnel were issued pellet guns to quell the CJP protest.
Stay tuned as we bring you all this and more from India.
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