Parliament Adjourned Repeatedly, While CJP Protest Reaches Complex; Govt Opens Dialogue

It was a day of protests – both inside Parliament and outside. Proceedings in both Houses were disrupted and the Cockroach Janata Party’s march to Parliament prompted enhanced and tighter security around the Parliament complex.

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were repeatedly adjourned as Opposition parties demanded discussions on various issues such as CJP agitation, NEET row, and leak of question papers. Meanwhile, agitators, who were heading for the 'Sansad March' called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) from Jantar Mantar in the Capital city, headed for Parliament, which was 3 km away.

Protesters reached the roundabout near the Parliament complex, leading to the lockdown of the Parliament for a few hours. Inside the House, agitations went on all day, resulting in Lok Sabha finally being adjourned till the evening at 3 pm.

Amidst the march, signs of dialogue emerged between the government and the protesters. Around noon, as demonstrators gathered near Parliament, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka announced that they were on their way to meet Union Health Minister and former BJP president JP Nadda.

Inside the Parliament complex, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met Home Minister Amit Shah along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister Piyush Goyal and BJP National Media Head Anil Baluni for more than three hours. It is not immediately clear what was discussed.

Later in the evening, Nadda said on X that the initiative for talks had come from the protesters. He said discussions had been underway since 11.50 am in a cordial atmosphere. According to the minister, an initial verbal exchange was followed by the submission of a written memorandum by the CJP delegation at around 4 pm. He added that he had urged the protesters to end their sit-in and cooperate with the administration in restoring normalcy.

The talks took place against the backdrop of rising tensions at Jantar Mantar, where protests turned confrontational as demonstrators clashed with police. Protesters alleged that police resorted to a lathi-charge during the confrontation.

Earlier in the day, Das had said the CJP was willing to engage with the government if it initiated formal dialogue. Later, he said he had been at Nadda's office since noon after the government opened discussions with the protest movement, which is demanding Pradhan’s resignation.

"The demands have been conveyed, including the immediate resignation or removal of Dharmendra Pradhan," Das posted on X.

According to Das, Nadda assured the CJP delegation that the matter would be discussed at the appropriate level, although no commitments had been made. "The peaceful protesters will not rest until the demand is met," he said.

Das also claimed that the minister had assured the delegation that there would be "no further crackdown" at Jantar Mantar or in the surrounding area, adding that there were no reports of police attempting to stop protesters after the meeting.

Earlier reports from the CJP had claimed that the party's founder, Abhijeet Dipke, had been “picked up” by police. However, the party's chief spokesperson later clarified that Dipke was “not in detention or under arrest”.