Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka presented their demands to Union Minister J.P. Nadda on Monday, stating that the Health Minister assured them that he would discuss the protestors' demands "internally" with the "leadership".
In a post on X, Das said, "After waiting for more than 2 hours, Ashutosh Ranka and I just met J.P. Nadda ji at his residence for 10 minutes. While we submitted a written letter with our demands, he has assured us that he will speak internally. We are in that process. There is news of mass detention, etc."
Ranka also took to X and said, "Nadda ji has requested some time to align with their leadership with regards to our following demands: Immediate release of Sonam Wangchuk, Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and 1 crore compensation for all NEET aspirants who committed suicide."
Earlier, speaking to IANS, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said, "Our demands are clear: Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. The families of the children who committed suicide should receive a compensation of Rs 1 crore. And Sonam Wangchuk should be released immediately."
Tensions remained high in Delhi as the CJP and its supporters took part in the "Sansad Chalo" protest on Monday, calling for accountability from the government regarding the NEET-UG paper leak case. As the protesters tried to advance towards Parliament House, they encountered a light police force intended to maintain law and order.
The protest has been organised to press for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak case and other examination-related irregularities, including the 12th CBSE Board, that have sparked nationwide concerns over the integrity of competitive examinations.
At Jantar Mantar, the situation turned tense as clashes broke out between police and demonstrators, with security personnel attempting to stop them from crossing barricades. The protest witnessed a heavy security presence, with Delhi Police putting up multiple layers of barricading across the New Delhi district to control the movement of protesters.
According to police officials, the protesters gathered at the protest site as crowds continued to swell. Visuals from the spot showed hundreds of students and young protesters carrying flags and raising slogans. Many protesters were seen attempting to move beyond the barricades, following which police personnel repeatedly pushed them back to maintain order.
Police personnel were deployed in large numbers at Jantar Mantar, with a riot control vehicle also entering the protest site early on Monday. Authorities also imposed restrictions around the area as the march towards Parliament was planned by the protesters.
The police used force to stop demonstrators from crossing security barricades, and a lathi charge was also reported during the confrontation between police and protesters. The situation remained tense as security personnel attempted to prevent protesters from moving towards restricted areas.
Police also deployed signal jammers in and around the protest area, with some protesters claiming that mobile phone connectivity was affected near the venue.