New Delhi: The government of India (GoI) on Monday initiated talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) amid its ongoing protest in the national capital, with GoI Health Minister JP Nadda meeting a two-member delegation of the outfit as thousands of demonstrators attempted to march towards Parliament.
According to official sources quoted in PTI report, the meeting marked the government’s first outreach to the protesters. They said discussions were underway within the government over the CJP’s demands and a formal statement could be issued later.
The CJP delegation, comprising chief spokesperson Saurav Das and national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, met Nadda at his residence for around 10 minutes after waiting for more than two hours.
Following the meeting, the CJP said Nadda had accepted their written memorandum and assured them that he would consult the government leadership before responding to their key demands.
These include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities, the release of Sonam Wangchuk, and ₹1 crore compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide.
In a post on X, Das said the minister had promised to hold internal discussions while expressing concern over reports of mass detentions during the protest.
Ranka said communication between the government and the CJP began late Sunday night after Delhi Police established contact to facilitate dialogue. He added that the decision to meet Nadda was finalised around noon on Monday.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters gathered near Parliament Street and attempted to march towards Parliament despite heavy security deployment. Police used barricades, baton-charge and tear gas to stop the demonstrators, who continued raising slogans demanding Pradhan’s resignation.
The Parliament march drew participation from students and supporters from across Delhi, many of whom said they expected police action but remained determined to continue their protest.
