In a significant move towards dialogue, the Central Government has reached out for talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with a two-member delegation from the organisation set to meet BJP National President JP Nadda on Monday amid the planned ‘Sansad Chalo’ march on Monday.
CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, leading the delegation, said the party will meet Union Minister JP Nadda with ‘clear demands,’ reflecting CJP’s longstanding advocacy on issues relating to NEET-UG paper leak, and examination irregularities.
Announcing the meeting, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das said, “It’s 11:52 AM. Ashutosh Ranka and I, on behalf of the Cockroach Janta Party, are on our way to meet J.P. Nadda. The government had reached out for talks in the morning. Our demands are clear. The youth have gathered in huge numbers.”
Making the announcement on social media handle X, Das added, “We shall win!”
Soon after the annoucement of talks with government, founding president of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, ended his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar at the request of Activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The talk comes hours after Saurav Das hinted at the opening up of communication channels with the government and taken to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. He said discussions with the authorities were underway. Even as activists of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continued their attempt to march towards Parliament on Monday.
Speaking to ANI, Das said, “We are in talks (with the government).”
The developments came after Delhi Police used a mild lathi charge to disperse hundreds of protesters who tried to move towards Parliament from Jantar Mantar. The protest caused major traffic disruptions across parts of the national capital, with heavy security deployment to manage the crowd.
According to a Delhi Police advisory, protest marches, processions, demonstrations and gatherings of five or more people are prohibited, except at the designated protest site at Jantar Mantar and only with prior permission. Security around Parliament has also been tightened as the Monsoon Session commenced on Monday.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, on the other hand, demanded discharge from the hospital, stating stable health conditions.
In an X post Wangchuk said, “Sonam Wangchuk is trying hard to see you all! Just submitted a letter to the hospital as his health is good and they claim he is not in detention. So why the restrictions?”
In the post, a letter stated, “This is to state that I am feeling very fine today and my health parameters are also showing as quite normal. Hence, I request you to kindly allow me to leave the hospital even if temporarily, so that I can join the march to the Parliament sansad chalo this morning.”
Earlier in the day, Das indicated that the CJP was willing to hold talks with the government over its long-pending demands for examination reforms. While he said the administration had reached out only at a late stage, he maintained that the organisation remained open to dialogue to resolve concerns surrounding the education system.
Das also claimed there was still no clarity from the administration despite the recent outreach for discussions, adding that “the ball is in their court.”
Earlier, activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and focused on the core issue behind the protest.
Addressing protesters at the site, she told ANI, “We will focus on this march. Three points are very important today. First, we will focus on conducting the march peacefully. Let us stay focused on the issue the issue of education, which is a vital need for this country and remain vigilant.”
Meanwhile, Sonam Wangchuk reiterated that he would end his hunger strike if the government accepts responsibility for recent failures in the education system, including question paper leaks, or if Members of Parliament assure him that the issue of education accountability will be discussed during the Monsoon Session.
Bureau Report
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