June 18, Kathmandu. The ‘Chalo Sansad’ (Let’s go to Parliament) campaign initiated by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar has added a new dimension to the political landscape. Today, CJP spokesperson Saurabh Das announced via social media platform X that the government has invited them for talks.
Sharing a photo with Union Minister JP Nadda, Das stated that discussions were held regarding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation along with other issues. He mentioned that talks have been ongoing at the minister’s residence since noon, and while their demands have been heard, no commitments have been made by the government so far.
Minister Nadda reportedly said that the matter needs to be addressed at the appropriate level. There has been no official response from the government.
Emerging after Chief Justice Suryakant’s youth-oriented remarks, the CJP has garnered attention from leaders, celebrities, artists, and activists alike. For the past month, the CJP has been staging protests at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Education Minister Pradhan. Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for 23 days.
CJP President Abhijit Deepak was also on a hunger strike since Saturday but ended it on Monday citing health issues.
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During talks with JP Nadda, spokesperson Saurabh Das submitted a memorandum outlining three main demands.
The first demand is the discharge of Sonam Wangchuk from the hospital and assurance that no harsh action will be taken against him for his activism. The second demand calls for either the resignation or dismissal of Dharmendra Pradhan. The third involves providing a compensation of 10 million rupees to the family of a student who committed suicide following the NEET 2026 paper leak.
Das shared on X that they had to wait more than two hours to meet JP Nadda and that no commitments were given by the government, but the movement will continue. He stated, “The protesters will continue their agitation until their demands are fulfilled.”
Protesters had gathered since Sunday in preparation for the demonstration that began early Monday morning. Wangchuk, admitted to Safdarjung Hospital, had requested permission to participate in the parliament march, stating he was feeling well.
In a letter to the hospital, he wrote, “I am fully well today. All my health parameters are normal. Please grant me permission to leave the hospital. I want to participate in today’s Chalo Sansad march. I would be very grateful for this.”
Earlier, he had also issued another letter outlining conditions under which he would end his hunger strike.
The letter stated that the central government should take responsibility for the failure of the current education system or parliamentarians should promise to raise this issue in the parliament. Upon fulfilling these conditions, he said he would end his indefinite hunger strike on July 20. However, due to health reasons, he was not allowed to participate in the march.
During the march, Delhi police and paramilitary forces clashed with protesters, using tear gas to control the crowd.
CJP spokesperson Saurabh Das claimed that Delhi police had arrested founder Abhijit Deepak, but Delhi police denied this. Later, Das issued a new post clarifying that Abhijit Deepak was neither detained nor arrested.
The CJP also alleged, “Delhi police pulled the hair and behaved abusively toward Geetanjali Angmo.” They added, “A 12-year-old boy’s head was injured, and 40–50 people suffered head injuries.”
However, Delhi police dismissed these claims as false and debunked misinformation circulating on social media. They stated, “Misleading reports about Geetanjali, a 12-year-old girl, being beaten and injuries to 40–50 people are spreading on social media. These claims are baseless. Please avoid spreading or exaggerating false or misleading information.”
Subsequently, Saurabh Das claimed in a new post that Sonam Wangchuk’s wife was assaulted but did not mention the allegations about 40–50 head injuries or the 12-year-old girl.
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When the CJP was emerging, the Trinamool Congress party expressed support, but other opposition parties and leaders initially kept their distance from the movement. Later, some leaders personally joined the protests.
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia visited the protest site on Sunday, urging people to rise above party lines and participate in the march. He wrote on X, “This march is for the future of the country’s children. It is a march to free India from education mafias.”
Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj also visited Jantar Mantar on Sunday and appealed for participation from the stage. She confirmed she would join the march on Monday.
Samajwadi Party MPs Rajeev Rai and Iqra Hasan also arrived on Sunday. From the stage, Rajeev Rai announced that the Samajwadi Party and its entire cadre support the CJP’s movement.
On Friday, Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Pawan Khera met with Sonam Wangchuk and the protesters at Jantar Mantar.
Pawan Khera wrote on X, “Peaceful protests are a constitutional right for every citizen. When citizens undertake hunger strikes to voice their concerns, the government must listen. It is not the government’s duty to ignore them. This is the fundamental duty of a government.”
He added, “On behalf of the Congress party, I visited Jantar Mantar, met Sonam Wangchuk and other protesters, and urged them to end their hunger strike considering their deteriorating health. No movement can be strengthened by losing its activists. We must stay alive to continue the struggle.”
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In parliament, opposition parties have also raised questions regarding the CJP movement. Indian National Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge strongly addressed the issue of police lathi charge on CJP protesters in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
He highlighted that the police baton-charged thousands of representatives gathered at Jantar Mantar over the paper leak issue. He accused the Modi government of trying to suppress the voices of the youth.
Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party expressed gratitude via social media to Kharge for raising the youth’s concerns strongly in parliament.
Speaking to journalists outside parliament, Kharge condemned the repression of youth demanding their rights in Delhi.
Similarly, Delhi’s former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal expressed strong opposition to the police lathi charge on CJP protesters. He released a video message on social media urging the government to set aside arrogance and engage in dialogue with the youth.
Addressing the repression of youths seeking justice on the streets, Kejriwal said, “Children are being beaten while demanding justice on the streets. I urge Modi ji to understand the anger of the youth, or this will become a serious problem for you.”
He wrote on X, “These are the nation’s children who have come out seeking justice. Drop the arrogance and listen to their voices.”
