New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Cockroach Janta Party Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das on Thursday said the party placed four key demands before the Union government over the NEET exam paper leak during a meeting with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
Das added that the government had responded positively to some of them, and that the Centre, in principle, accepted the demands related to compensation and withdrawal of FIRs.
Speaking at Jantar Mantar, Das said, "When Ashutosh and I went there, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh were also present...We clearly conveyed, both verbally and in writing, our three main demands...The first demand, which is non-negotiable, is that either Dharmendra Pradhan should resign or the government should dismiss him from the Cabinet. The second demand is compensation of Rs 1 crore for every family whose child died by suicide due to this broken and corrupt NEET education system. The third demand is that all our brothers and sisters who were peacefully protesting here but faced police brutality and had FIRs registered against them should have those FIRs withdrawn. No FIRs should be filed against anyone."
He further demanded that no fresh FIRs be filed against protesters and that the government provide a written sovereign guarantee ensuring that no one would be targeted in the future.
"Furthermore, the government should provide us with a sovereign guarantee in writing that no one will be targeted in the future. We also told them about our fourth point--our five-point policy demand charter...The government showed a positive response to our second and third demands: compensation, withdrawal of FIRs, and a written sovereign guarantee that such FIRs would not be filed in the future. The government said that, in principle, it accepts these two demands. Therefore, we have been called for another meeting tomorrow," he further said.

CJP's Ashutosh Ranka also said that the government gave a "very positive response to two of our three main demands".

"The government gave a very positive response to two of our three main demands. It showed significant in-principle agreement on the demand for Rs 1 crore compensation and on the legal cases we raised. This includes not only the FIRs that have already been filed but also our demand for a sovereign guarantee that no FIRs or legal cases will be filed against the protesters in the future," Ranka told reporters.
Ranka said that he hopes to get a written assurance from the government regarding the fulfilment of their demands, adding, "There has been a very positive response from the government on both compensation and legal protection. It has agreed to these demands in principle, and we hope that we will soon receive a written agreement in this regard."
On July 20, a massive protest organised by youth groups and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) saw police using tear gas and lathi-charge to stop marchers from reaching Parliament. The Supreme Court has also agreed to hear a plea on July 27 alleging excessive police action against students who participated in protests at Jantar Mantar and other places across the country over examination paper leaks.

Meanwhile, Social activist Sonam Wangchuk on Friday ended his 26-day-long hunger strike after receiving a written assurance from the Union Government regarding the NEET examination issue and systemic reforms in the country's competitive testing framework.

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This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.