RJD leader Sourav Das said the delegation submitted a written memorandum outlining the demands.
The Center on Monday opened a communication channel with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with Union Minister JP Nadda meeting representatives of the party amid the ‘Chalo Sansad’ rally in Delhi. BJP leaders claim to have submitted a written charter of demands and asked for time to consult with the BJP leadership before responding, marking the first formal engagement between the government and protesters since the unrest intensified.
The meeting came despite thousands of RJD supporters trying to march towards Parliament to demand exam reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The day witnessed heavy police deployment, erection of barricades, arrests, and disruption of traffic in the national capital.
What happened at the JP Nadda-CJP meeting?
CJP spokespersons Sourav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Nadda at his residence on Monday afternoon after the government, according to the group, reached out earlier in the day seeking talks.
Before leaving for the meeting, Das posted on
After the meeting, Das said the two leaders waited for more than two hours before they got about 10 minutes with the Union minister.
“After waiting for more than 2 hours, Ashutosh Ranka and I just met JP Nadda ji at his residence for 10 minutes,” Das wrote on X.
He said that the delegation submitted a written memorandum outlining the demands of the Justice and Development Party.
“While we are submitting a written letter containing our demands, he has assured us that he will speak internally in the meantime. We are in the process. There are reports of mass arrests etc,” Das added.
In a later update, Ranka said he and Das stayed at Nadda’s house as discussions continued.
According to Ranka, the Union Minister has asked for more time to align with the BJP leadership on the party’s key demands, which include the immediate release of activist Sonam Wangchuk, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, $Compensation of Rs 1 crore to the families of all NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide.
There was no immediate official statement from the government regarding the meeting or whether any of the demands would be accepted.
The CJP says it is open to dialogue
Earlier in the day, Das indicated that the organization was ready to engage with the government despite the outreach that came after weeks of protests.
He added that there is still no clarity on the administration’s part regarding how it plans to deal with the protesters’ demands, adding that “the ball is in their court.”
The CJP is demanding comprehensive reforms in examinations and Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
The protest continues despite communication
The talks took place as thousands of protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar before attempting to march towards Parliament under the slogan “Chalo Sansad”.
Police stopped the procession near Parliament Street with multiple layers of barricades. The demonstrators claimed that they faced lathi charges, tear gas and mass arrests after they refused to disperse. Security has been tightened across central Delhi as the monsoon session of Parliament begins on Monday.
Many students participating in the march said that they will continue their movement until their demands are met.
Many protesters accused the government of failing to engage with students despite weeks of demonstrations, while others said they were determined to continue the movement until Pradhan resigned.
Debki quickly finishes, and Wangchuk seeks his release
In another major development, CJP founder Abhijit Debaki ended his indefinite hunger strike at the request of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital since July 18 after his 21-day fast required medical intervention.
Meanwhile, Wangchuk appealed to the hospital authorities to discharge him, saying that his health condition was normal and that he would like to join the Sansad Chalo march.
In a note shared on X, Wangchuk said he was “feeling very good” and asked for permission to leave the hospital, even temporarily, so he could participate in the protest.
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