The Centre has asked for more time to consider the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The request came after CJP leaders held a nearly two-hour meeting with Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday.

The meeting took place as protests over alleged irregularities in national entrance exams, especially the NEET-UG paper leak, continued at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

CJP Says Government Will Respond on Saturday

After the meeting, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the government had asked for time until Saturday afternoon to decide on Pradhan's resignation.

"The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the government will remove him soon," Ranka said. He also said the ministers would place the demand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi before taking a final decision.

CJP Presses Three Key Demands

The CJP said the government responded positively to two of its demands. The group wants:

• ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after the cancellation of the NEET exam on May 3.
• No FIRs or legal action against students and peaceful protesters.
• The resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

After the meeting, the CJP posted on X, “After talks with the government:– The central government has expressed its agreement to provide compensation to the families of the deceased students and to withdraw the FIRs registered against the protesters, but we will accept nothing less than the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. We have given the government 24 hours to consider this.”

The group said it would continue its protest until the government accepted its main demand.

Government Says Talks Will Continue

Union minister JP Nadda confirmed that the meeting lasted for nearly two hours. "We will again meet on Saturday," he said. He said the CJP presented three demands and five suggestions to improve the examination system.

"The meeting went on for almost two hours...They had three main demands and five suggestions for exam reforms. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and tell them about the discussion we had among the government," Nadda said.

However, people familiar with the discussions said the government had not given any assurance. Officials only agreed to discuss the demands for compensation and legal cases. A senior ruling party leader also urged people not to draw conclusions from the second meeting.

“There should be no interpretation made of the government’s decision to meet them again on Saturday… if they want to discuss reforms that’s put effort into identifying issue that need to be addressed. Issues of prestige cannot overshadow discussions,” the leader said.

How the CJP Gained National Attention

The Cockroach Janta Party emerged in May after remarks attributed to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. During a court hearing, he reportedly compared some unemployed youth and social media activists to "cockroaches" and "parasites."

Many young people took the remarks as an insult. Soon after, Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University graduate, launched the CJP through its website and social media pages.

The party quickly gained popularity. Within days, its Instagram account attracted millions of followers. It even surpassed the Bharatiya Janata Party's follower count on the platform.

Protest Grew After Sonam Wangchuk's Hunger Strike

The protest gained momentum after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was allegedly removed from the protest site during his indefinite hunger strike. Authorities later admitted him to Safdarjung Hospital after his health worsened. On July 20, thousands gathered at Jantar Mantar after the CJP called for a march to Parliament on the first day of the Monsoon Session.

Police stopped the march with barricades, tear gas, lathis and heavy security. Authorities also suspended internet services around Jantar Mantar as tensions increased.

PM's Assurance Ends Hunger Strike

Before Friday's meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a late-night video message. He assured strict action against paper leaks, especially the NEET controversy. After the assurance, Sonam Wangchuk ended his hunger strike. He made the decision after meeting JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at Medanta Hospital.

Wangchuk joined the CJP protest on June 28. He began the hunger strike to demand accountability for exam irregularities and the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

CJP Refuses to Withdraw Protest

CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka agreed to continue talks with the government after receiving a positive response on two demands.

However, the organisation remains firm. It says it will not end the protest until the government removes Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The Centre and the CJP will meet again on Saturday. The government is expected to announce its response to the group's main demand.