New Delhi: Two representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met Union Minister and BJP President J.P. Nadda at his residence on Monday and submitted a written memorandum outlining the group's three key demands after detailed discussions earlier in the day.
According to government sources, the first meeting took place at around 11.50 a.m., during which the CJP delegation presented its demands verbally. Nadda asked the representatives to submit them in writing. The delegation returned at around 4 p.m. and handed over a memorandum detailing its demands.
Representing the CJP, spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka sought the unconditional release of social activist Sonam Wangchuk, 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 Nadda did not give any assurance on the three demands. However, he 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 had itself approached the government for talks. He confirmed that the delegation submitted its written memorandum at around 4 p.m. following extensive discussions earlier in the day.
After the meeting, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das expressed concern over the police action against protesters at the demonstration site and said 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 personnel were instructed to avoid the use of force and, if unavoidable, exercise only minimum force.
The government also defended its handling of examination-related issues, stating that more than 50 lakh students appeared for major national examinations, including NEET, JEE and CUET, this year. Around 10 lakh students took the common examination, while over 40 lakh appeared for various entrance tests across the country.
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 said that most NEET toppers are first-time candidates from economically weaker and lower middle-class families. They added that after the paper leak surfaced, authorities conducted a re-examination within a month and fixed accountability for those responsible.
With IANS inputs