New Delhi: Has the Centre actually reached out to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)?
Even as the Delhi Police prevented protesters from proceeding towards Parliament on Monday, the CJP claimed that the Centre had reached out to it for the first time since the protest at Jantar Mantar began, signalling the possibility of talks between the two sides.
CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka said they were on their way to meet Union minister and former BJP president JP Nadda, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“Ashutosh Ranka and I, on behalf of the Cockroach Janta Party, are on our way to meet JP Nadda. The government had reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear. The youth has gathered in huge numbers,” Das said in a tweet.
However, there was no official confirmation from the government on the claimed outreach.
Tensions at Jantar Mantar continued after demonstrators clashed with the police earlier in the day. Protesters alleged that the police resorted to a lathi-charge during the confrontation.
Das had said earlier the CJP was open to engaging with the government if it initiated dialogue.
“They have come very late, but we have opened our hearts and said that we are willing to talk to them. There has been no clarity from their side as of now. The ball is in their court,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.