'People's court is here': CJP leader rejects talks at Nadda's residence, seeks dialogue at Jantar Mantar

The standoff over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak showed no signs of easing on July 22 after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activist and protest leader Saurav Das turned down the government's invitation for talks at BJP president JP Nadda's residence, insisting that any discussions should take place at Jantar Mantar or a neutral venue nearby.

Addressing reporters, Das said the protesters had "flatly refused" the invitation to Nadda's residence, maintaining that the government should engage with demonstrators at the protest site.

"The people's court is held here; ministers should come among the people," he said.

Das added that the protesters had proposed a neutral venue close to Jantar Mantar if security concerns prevented ministers from visiting the site.

"Being educated people, we thought if there are security concerns, we could meet at some neutral place near Jantar Mantar. We are yet to hear from them on that," he said.

The protest leader said the group would only participate in talks if the government demonstrated a genuine willingness to address their demands, stressing that the ongoing agitation required constant attention.

"We don't have time for useless talk. Time is precious; thousands of people are still stationed here, the protest is ongoing, and that needs to be managed as well," Das said.

He reiterated three key demands of the protesters: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy, and the withdrawal of FIRs registered against peaceful protesters. He also sought a "sovereign guarantee" that no similar cases would be filed against peaceful demonstrators in connection with the agitation in the future.

Amid reports of stone-pelting during the protests, Das appealed to demonstrators to remain peaceful and avoid actions that could divert attention from their cause.

"Violence has no place in a democracy. There is no place for violence in this protest either," he said, urging protesters not to "show aggression toward the police" or engage in vandalism.

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi's principles, Das added, "This is Gandhi's land; always remember that we will move forward and win through Gandhian principles."

He also called on the police to publicly disclose the number of people detained, their whereabouts, and how many remain in custody.

"We have a rough idea, but we don't want to operate on rough estimates. We want accurate information," Das said, adding that the protesters had already sought the data from the police.