NEW DELHI: The agitation led by the self-described activist group Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak moved towards a possible political dialogue on Monday after a CJP delegation met Union Minister and former BJP national president JP Nadda at his residence in New Delhi.
The delegation, comprising CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das and national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, met Nadda around noon to submit the organisation's demands. The meeting took place even as protests continued in parts of the national capital, particularly around the Parliament area.
Thousands of protesters marched through central Delhi demanding Pradhan's resignation over the alleged examination irregularities and calling for the release of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. Police stopped the protesters near the Rail Bhawan roundabout and dispersed the crowd using what officials described as reasonable and standard crowd-control measures.
Confirming the meeting through a social media post, Das said the delegation had sought Pradhan's removal. "We conveyed all our demands, including the immediate resignation or sacking of Dharmendra Pradhan. The minister assured us that he would raise the matter at the appropriate level. However, no commitments have been made so far," Das wrote.
He added that the CJP would continue its peaceful agitation until its demands were met.
Following the meeting, speculation surfaced in political circles that Pradhan could resign or be shifted to another role. However, these reports remain unverified.
Reports also claimed that Pradhan met Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the protests, but neither Shah's office nor Pradhan's office confirmed the meeting. Sources further claimed that Pradhan later met Union Minister Piyush Goyal, though there was no official confirmation.
As of Monday evening, the government had made no announcement regarding Pradhan's future, and the protests continued with demonstrators reiterating their demand for accountability over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.