CJP ends agitation after Centre agrees to compensation, FIR rollback & reform talks

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday afternoon withdrew its agitation after the Centre agreed to meet all its demands following a third round of talks.

The CJP has been protesting at Jantar Mantar against the alleged NEET question paper leak and irregularities in the examination system since June 20. However, the protests later turned violent, with clashes erupting between protesters and the police.

CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka shook hands with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh after the two sides reached a consensus during the talks held on Saturday. According to Das and Ranka, the government agreed to all three demands put forward by the CJP.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Ranka said the protesters had placed three key demands before the government: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the withdrawal of all legal cases against protesters and organisers along with an assurance that no fresh cases would be filed, and a compensation of ₹1 crore each for the families of those who died by suicide following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.

"Just a while ago, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. This means that our first demand has been accepted," Ranka said.

Das said the government had also accepted the second demand by agreeing to withdraw the cases registered against protesters.

"The withdrawal will be done shortly. The government has assured us that it will share copies of all the FIRs filed. As per our last information, 15 to 20 FIRs were registered in Delhi, and we will receive those copies within three to four days," he said. He added that the CJP had also shared a draft of a written guarantee with the government.

"The government has said it will share this with us by Tuesday. We hope that by then we will receive the government's written assurances regarding these FIRs and any future action," he said.

Ranka said the government had also agreed to the party's demand for ₹1 crore each in compensation for the families of those who died by suicide following the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. "We had demanded compensation of ₹1 crore for the families of NEET victims. The government has agreed to this, stating that compensation will be provided to those families in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations," he said.

In addition to its three immediate demands, the CJP also submitted a five-point charter seeking broader reforms in the education and examination systems. "We will meet the government again in about four weeks regarding that charter so that we can work together on broader reforms," Ranka said.

Responding after the talks, Nadda reaffirmed that the Centre would act on the demands accepted during the meeting. "We discussed the other two demands - no retaliatory measures should be taken, compensation should be provided, and their five-point charter should be considered. We will provide them with copies of the FIRs, and no action will be taken," Nadda said.

He also said the government would ensure compensation for the victims' families in accordance with the applicable rules. "We have said that compensation will be provided according to the rules and regulations. Whatever maximum is permissible under those rules will be given to them," he said.

On the CJP's five-point charter, Nadda said the government would examine the proposals in detail. "We will carefully consider your charter for reforms in education examinations and, after discussions with your delegation, we will do whatever we can," he said.

Following the announcements, the CJP formally called off its agitation, saying the decision was based on the government's acceptance of its demands. "Cockroach Janta Party declares that we withdraw the agitation in good faith, with the understanding that the agreed-upon terms will be executed within the agreed-upon timelines," Das said.

The party also urged protesters to end the agitation immediately and return home peacefully, adding that it would announce its future course of action on other issues at a later date.