BJP President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Monday, 20 July met two representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at his New Delhi residence, receiving a written memorandum outlining the group's three key demands. According to government sources, no assurances were given on any of the demands during the meeting.

How the Talks Unfolded

The first interaction took place at around 11:50 a.m., when the CJP delegation presented its demands verbally. Nadda asked the representatives to formalise their requests in writing. The delegation returned at around 4 p.m. and submitted a written memorandum. Nadda confirmed in a post on X that the discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere and noted that the CJP itself had approached the government seeking talks.

The Three Demands

CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka represented the delegation. Their demands were: the unconditional release of social activist Sonam Wangchuk without restrictions on his movement; the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan; and ₹1 crore compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET 2026 paper leak controversy.

Government's Position

Government sources confirmed that Nadda offered no commitments on any of the three demands. However, the Union Minister urged the protesters to withdraw their month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and cooperate with the administration in restoring normalcy in the high-security zone near Parliament. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly monitored the situation throughout the day, remaining in contact with senior officials. Police and paramilitary forces were instructed to avoid the use of force and, if unavoidable, to exercise minimum force.

Government's Defence on NEET

Officials defended the Centre's handling of examination-related issues, stating that more than 50 lakh students appeared for major national examinations — including NEET, JEE, and CUET — this year. Of these, around 10 lakh appeared in the common examination, while over 40 lakh took various entrance tests nationwide. The government maintained that counselling and admissions are already underway, and that genuine aspirants are focused on securing seats rather than joining protests. Officials also noted that after the paper leak surfaced, authorities conducted a re-examination within a month and fixed accountability for those responsible.

CJP's Response After the Meeting

Following the talks, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das expressed concern over police action against protesters at the demonstration site and reiterated that the group's demands reflected the aspirations of the country's youth. The sit-in at Jantar Mantar continues, with the outcome of the meeting leaving the standoff unresolved. All eyes are now on whether the government moves to address any of the demands or escalates pressure on the protesters to disperse.