New Delhi: The Central government and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) communicated for the first time since the online movement surfaced two months ago.
A two-member delegation of CJP, which has been spearheading protests over the NEET-UG paper leak and other examination-related irregularities, met Union Health minister J P Nadda at his residence on Monday and submitted a memorandum hours after thousands of protesters tried to breach heavy security and march towards Parliament.
The memorandum outlined three principal demands of the CJP — release of activist Sonam Wangchuk, removal of Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rs 1 crore compensation for families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the paper leak.
“This morning, for the first time, a proposal came from the protesters to hold talks with the government, and our discussions have been ongoing since 11:50 AM. The meeting took place in a cordial atmosphere. An initial verbal discussion was held in detail with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 PM. I have requested all the protesters to end their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy,” Nadda said in a post on X, sharing pictures of the meeting.
CJP spokespersons described the interaction with Nadda as positive and expressed hope that the government will act on its demands.
“The minister listened to our concerns with empathy and the entire discussion was held in a very cordial atmosphere. The CJP delegation is confident that the government will give due consideration to our demands,” CJP said in a statement.
The outfit also appealed to its supporters to maintain peace and remain calm while awaiting the government’s response to the memorandum.
The CJP began its agitation in Delhi on June 6, demanding the resignation of Pradhan. The protest was held in several other cities after that.
CJP’s main point has been that repeated controversies, including the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, CBSE Class XII portal glitches and delays in CUET examination, reflected systemic failures for which the Education Ministry should be held accountable.
Ladakh-based climate activist Wangchuk joined the protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20 and began a hunger strike on June 28 after the Centre didn’t respond to its demands.
Wangchuk was ‘forcibly’ shifted to Safdarjung Hospital by police on Sunday after his health worsened due to his hunger strike.