Government rules out immediate assurances as JP Nadda meets CJP representatives

New Delhi: Two representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met Union Minister and BJP President J.P. Nadda at his residence on Monday. They submitted a written memorandum outlining the group’s three key demands after holding detailed discussions earlier in the day.

According to government sources, the first meeting took place at around 11:50 a.m., when the CJP delegation presented its demands verbally. Nadda asked the representatives to submit them in writing. At around 4 p.m., the delegation returned and handed over a written memorandum detailing their demands.

The CJP delegation, represented by spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, demanded the release of social activist Sonam Wangchuk without any restrictions on his movement, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, and Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET 2026 paper leak controversy.

Government sources said that no assurances were given by Nadda on any of the three demands during the meeting. However, the Union Minister appealed to the protesters to withdraw their month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and cooperate with the administration in restoring normalcy in the high-security area near Parliament.

In a post on X, Nadda said the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere and noted that the CJP itself had approached the government seeking talks. He confirmed that the delegation submitted its written petition at around 4 p.m. after extensive discussions that began earlier in the day.

After the meeting, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das expressed concern over the police action against protesters at the demonstration site and reiterated that the group’s demands reflected the aspirations of the country’s youth.

Government sources said Union Home Minister Amit Shah monitored the situation throughout the day and remained in touch with senior officials. Police and paramilitary forces were instructed to avoid the use of force and, if unavoidable, to exercise minimum force.

The government also defended its handling of examination-related issues, stating that more than 50 lakh students have appeared for major national examinations, including NEET, JEE and CUET, this year. Of these, around 10 lakh students appeared in the common examination, while over 40 lakh took various entrance tests nationwide.

According to the government, counselling and admissions are already underway, and genuine aspirants are currently focused on securing admissions rather than participating in protests.

Government sources further maintained that most NEET toppers are first-time candidates from economically weaker and lower middle-class families. After the paper leak surfaced, authorities conducted a re-examination within a month and fixed accountability for those responsible, they added.

IANS