Opposition consolidates behind CJP: Uddhav calls Dipke, Patil claims fingerprint-Aadhaar match, Kerala drops cases

Opposition parties closed ranks around the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday, with Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray phoning CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and inviting him to Matoshree, while Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil claimed Delhi Police have collected fingerprints from stones used during the Jantar Mantar protests and will match them against the Aadhaar database. Separately, the Kerala government ordered the withdrawal of all cases registered against NEET protesters in the state.

Uddhav Thackeray calls Dipke, pledges Opposition support

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Abhijeet Dipke by phone on Friday and assured him of the Opposition's full backing, according to multiple reports. The conversation was facilitated by Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire, who visited Dipke's residence and set up the video call.

"I was there for an hour at his place. Uddhav Thackeray assured that the entire Opposition stands unitedly with Abhijeet Dipke," Khaire told reporters. Thackeray also asked Dipke's mother about his marriage plans; a video of the conversation was shared on social media.

The CJP leader told Thackeray that he will keep fighting for students until their demands are fulfilled. Lokmat Times reported that Thackeray invited Dipke to Matoshree, the Thackeray family residence, signalling a personal political endorsement beyond the party's public statements at the Shivaji Park rally last weekend.

Minister Patil claims fingerprint-Aadhaar matching

Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, addressing a press conference in Kolhapur on Thursday, claimed the Delhi Police have "collected even the smallest stones used during the protest, along with fingerprints found on them" and will link those fingerprints to Aadhaar numbers to identify protesters.

"The Delhi Police has prepared a detailed report that will stun everyone. It contains an analysis based on advanced technology showing how people facing criminal charges and foreign elements were involved in the protest," Patil said. He added that police have analysed the criminal backgrounds of those detained and categorised them by crime types "known across the world."

The claim was reported by The Hans India and corroborated by Hindustan Times, which quoted Patil saying the fingerprints from stones would be matched with Aadhaar data to identify "miscreants." Patil also countered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's allegation that Union Home Minister Amit Shah ordered the July 20 lathi-charge, saying the police would have to prove their claims and Gandhi would have to substantiate his.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut mocked Patil's fingerprint claim, saying he would suggest Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recommend Patil's name for the Nobel Prize in scientific research.

Kerala withdraws all NEET protest cases

In a parallel development, the Kerala government decided on Friday to withdraw all cases registered in connection with protests held across the state in solidarity with the NEET agitation in Delhi. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the decision followed requests from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister V D Satheesan.

"Several cases were registered in connection with those protests. We received many requests seeking withdrawal of these cases. The chief minister forwarded all those representations to me, and I have directed the DGP not to proceed further with any of these cases," Chennithala said.

Kerala joins Bihar, Assam, Maharashtra, and Delhi in rolling back legal action against student demonstrators, though Maharashtra's withdrawal order is still being implemented and Delhi's applies only to protesters without criminal antecedents.

What we can verify

• Uddhav-Dipke call: The Hans India reported on August 1 that Uddhav Thackeray spoke to Abhijeet Dipke on Friday and assured Opposition support, facilitated by Chandrakant Khaire. Lokmat Times confirmed Thackeray invited Dipke to Matoshree.
• Patil fingerprint-Aadhaar claim: Both The Hans India (Aug 1) and Hindustan Times (Jul 31) reported Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil's press conference in Kolhapur where he claimed Delhi Police collected fingerprints from protest stones and will match them to Aadhaar data. Sanjay Raut's mocking response was also reported by The Hans India.
• Kerala withdrawal: The Hans India (Aug 1) reported Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala's announcement that Kerala will withdraw all NEET protest cases following requests from Rahul Gandhi and CM V D Satheesan.

What remains unverified

• Technical feasibility of stone fingerprint-Aadhaar matching: Patil's claim that fingerprints lifted from "smallest stones" can be reliably matched to the Aadhaar biometric database has not been independently verified by forensic experts. The Hans India and Hindustan Times report the claim without technical corroboration.
• Scope of Kerala case withdrawal: The exact number of cases and FIRs to be withdrawn in Kerala has not been specified in the available reports; Chennithala's statement refers to "several cases" and a directive to the DGP.
• Matoshree meeting timing: While Lokmat Times reports an invitation to Matoshree, no date for the meeting has been confirmed.
• Delhi Police confirmation: No official Delhi Police statement confirming the fingerprint collection from stones or Aadhaar matching plan has been published as of Friday evening.
• "Foreign elements" claim: Patil's assertion that the police report identifies "foreign elements" involved in the protest is not supported by any public document or second source.

Cover image credit: The Hans India (protest image from Kolhapur press conference).