CJP rejects private meeting with JP Nadda, insists ministers come to Jantar Mantar; warns protest will intensify

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders on Wednesday rejected what they said was an invitation to hold discussions at Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda’s residence, maintaining that any dialogue with the government over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak should take place in a public setting near Jantar Mantar.

Addressing reporters, CJP activist Saurav Das said the movement would only engage in talks if the government showed a genuine willingness to address the protesters’ demands.

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“He invited us to his house again. We flatly refused. The people’s court is held here; ministers should come among the people,” said Das.

According to Das, the protesters declined the invitation to meet at Nadda’s residence and instead suggested holding discussions at a neutral venue close to Jantar Mantar if security concerns prevented ministers from visiting the protest site. He said they were awaiting the government’s response.

“Being educated people, we thought if there are security concerns, we could meet at some neutral place near Jantar Mantar. We are yet to hear from them on that.”

“It’s important that the government has the intention to accept our demands; only then should they call us. We don’t have time for useless talk. Time is precious; thousands of people are still stationed here, the protest is ongoing, and that needs to be managed as well.”

Protesters reiterate three key demands

Das said the agitation would continue unless the government addressed what he described as three non-negotiable demands.

These include the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide in connection with the NEET paper leak issue, and the withdrawal of FIRs filed against peaceful protesters. He also sought an assurance that no future cases would be registered against participants in the ongoing agitation.

“First, the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. Second, 1 crore rupees compensation for the families of all those students who committed suicide due to the NEET paper leak. Third, all FIRs filed unnecessarily against peaceful protesters should be withdrawn, and we want a sovereign guarantee from the government that no such FIRs will be filed against any peaceful protester in relation to this protest in the future.”

He said the protesters were not interested in “useless talk” and that any meeting should have a clear purpose aimed at resolving the issue.

Appeal for peaceful protests

Responding to reports of stone-pelting during the demonstrations, Das appealed to protesters to avoid violence.

He said violence had no place in a democracy and urged participants not to confront the police or allow the focus of the agitation to shift away from its core demands. He added that the movement would continue through Gandhian principles.

Das also urged the police to release accurate information on those detained during the protests, including the number of people in custody and their whereabouts.

CJP warns of larger mobilisation

Separately, CJP representative Ashutosh Ranka claimed the July 20 demonstration was only a “trailer” and warned that the protest could expand significantly if the government failed to respond to the movement’s demands.

He alleged that millions of young people could join future demonstrations and accused the government of failing to address public concerns over the alleged examination irregularities.

Rejecting allegations that the protesters had turned violent, Ranka claimed the July 20 march had remained peaceful and alleged that disorder began only after police action against students.

He also said the protest would not end without an assurance that no further FIRs would be filed against demonstrators, while asserting that the movement’s leadership was prepared to face arrest if necessary.

Ranka appealed to leaders across political parties, including the BJP, to support what he described as a genuine public movement.

With inputs from ANI