New Delhi: A month after the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) embarked on its first continuous sit-in at Jantar Mantar, demanding education reform and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak fiasco, the first meeting took place between its representatives and the Narendra Modi government Monday.
CJP spokespersons Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Union Minister J.P. Nadda met at the latter’s residence. Nadda urged the protesters to call off their stir and help the administration in restoring normalcy.
In what could be the first government acknowledgement of a month-long protest, on a day when thousands of supporters stormed the national capital and demanded that their voices be heard, Nadda said: “For the first time this morning, a proposal to hold talks with the government came from the protesters, and our discussion has been ongoing since 11.50 am.”
आज सुबह पहली बार प्रदर्शनकारियों की ओर से सरकार के साथ बातचीत करने का प्रस्ताव आया और सुबह 11:50 AM से ही हमारी बातचीत जारी है।
सौहार्दपूर्ण वातावरण में मुलाकात हुई। उनके डेलीगेशन के साथ विस्तार से पहले मौखिक चर्चा हुई और उनके द्वारा लगभग 4 बजे मुझे लिखित याचिका दी गई।
मैंने… pic.twitter.com/HLCl20RBSp
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) July 20, 2026
The Union minister took to X and posted that the meeting took place in a “cordial atmosphere”.
“We first held detailed verbal discussions with their delegation, and they submitted a written petition to me around 4 pm. I requested all the protesters to call off their sit-in and assist the administration in restoring normalcy,” Nadda added.
Earlier in the day, after their meeting, the CJP raised its demands calling for sweeping reforms to the country’s competitive examination system, the resignation of Pradhan among others. CJP spokesperson Saurav Das also said that Nadda had assured no action would be taken at the protest site in Jantar Mantar.
“The minister has also assured us that no further crackdown will happen at Jantar Mantar and around,” Das had written on X earlier in the day.
However, makeshift tents as well as the stage which was earlier occupied by Sonam Wangchuk and CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, have since been cleared by the Delhi Police.
जो स्थान कोर्ट ने प्रदर्शन के लिए तय किया है उसको भी सरकार ने खाली करवा लिया। pic.twitter.com/764zcdIaQD
— Cockroach Janta Party (@CJP_for_India) July 20, 2026
According to sources in the know, the CJP had sought talks with a Cabinet minister and even submitted a list of names of ministers it was willing to meet.
On Monday morning, thousands of CJP supporters began their march towards Parliament from Jantar Mantar even as prohibitory orders were in force. The Delhi Police said no permission had been sought or granted for the march.
The march came two days after activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site and taken to Safdarjung Hospital, on the 19th day of his hunger strike.
Meanwhile, the first day of the Parliament’s Monsoon Session Monday also witnessed tempestuous scenes including repeated adjournments as the Opposition staged protests in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on several issues including the NEET paper leak and the protest at Jantar Mantar.
In Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the government for using force against protesting students.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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