Amid thousands of CJP protesters being on the streets for the past month at Jantar Mantar, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday said the group wants a clear "yes or no" from the central government on whether it will seek Pradhan's resignation ahead of a scheduled meeting with the government later in the day.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the meeting was expected to take place between 3:30 pm and 4 pm, though the venue had not yet been finalised.
"They had given us the time for 3:30-4 pm today. The location has not been finalised yet. Discussions are very clear. We should get written confirmation for the two demands on which there has been in-principle agreement. So that they can be closed. We need clarity over Dharmendra Pradhan – whether they will seek his resignation or not. We want an answer in 'Yes' or 'No' because there is not much scope for deliberation over this," Ranka said.
Reacting to a video message by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and criticism directed at him by right-wing trolls, Ranka said, "There can be nothing more shameful than this."
"A man who did a hunger strike for 26 days and risked his life, he did so much for the future of the country. The right wing is trolling him. There can be nothing more shameful than this," he said.
Responding to Congress MP Imran Masood's remarks referring to Wangchuk as "Anna part two" and alleging a "personal deal with the government", Ranka said he was unaware of what the Congress was thinking.
"We don't know what Congress is thinking. But they have done a lot; they have also done negotiations so that there should not be a legal case and they should get compensation. It is not right to question Sonam ji," he said.
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The remarks come after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh held a meeting with Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at Vithal Patel House in the national capital on Friday.
After the nearly two-hour meeting, CJP's Ashutosh Ranka claimed that the government was positive about the party's other two demands, including compensation for the families of those who died by suicide in connection with the alleged NEET paper leak and assurance that no FIRs would be filed against protesting students.
However, the CJP remains firm on its principal demand, seeking the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Meanwhile, social activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike in the presence of JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at Medanta Hospital after receiving a written assurance from the union government regarding the NEET examination issue and systemic reforms in the country's competitive examination framework.