CJP agitation: After meeting with Wangchuk, govt to hold 2nd round of talks with youth protesters

After two Union ministers met activist Sonam Wangchuk in the hospital, the Centre and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) are expected to hold the second round of talks on Wednesday aimed at finding a resolution to the standoff.

Last night, Union ministers Jitendra Singh and JP Nadda met Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital, Gurgaon, where he is under medical supervision while continuing his hunger strike as part of the protest.

Wangchuk has said that he will break the fast if MPs will discuss the issue of Neet and other concerns about the education system raised by the movement in the parliament. Sources in the government have told CNN-News 18 that "it is agreeable to a parliamentary discussion".

Sources said that Singh and Nadda discussed this with Wangchuk last night and conveyed they were open to a parliamentary discussion.

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In the first round of talks, CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka met Nadda on Monday. The CJP leaders formally conveyed the movement's demands and said that Nadda told them that he would hold discussions within the government and get back to them. But there has not been any response so far.

Follow our live coverage of the CJP protests here

For weeks, the CJP has been holding a protest at Jantar Mantar over the leak of the question paper for medical entrance exam Neet and demand for accountability for irregularities in Neet, checking of CBSE class 12 answer sheets, and the conduction of other competitive exams. They have also sought the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for these failures during his tenure.

Despite contacts between the government and the CJP, the movement has pressed with the protest in Delhi, vowing to continue until Pradhan's resignation.

As protesters stayed put, Ranka declared that they would not leave Jantar Mantar until Pradhan's resignation.

After the crackdown earlier this week that involved daylong lathi-charge, tear gas shelling, and detentions, Ranka said the movement would continue even if the government would slap them with UAPA and NSA.

"This is the biggest movement in India's post-independence history...We have said this very clearly, what happened on 20th was a trailer. If the Govt doesn't agree, millions more will come to Delhi because this time we will not hold back and stay silent...The Govt really needs to get its act together otherwise the Youth of this country is going to take them down very badly...A narrative is trying to be built that we will not be peaceful, but we are. The march on 20th was peacefull too but there was chaos only at the point where Police unleashed brutality and beat up students. The youth is sitting here peacefully for 31 days because we follow the principles of Gandhi and Ambedkar," Ranka further said.

The Opposition and several prominent personalities have come out in support of the movement, with Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders holding a sit-in protest near the Prime Minister's Residence. The police removed them from the site, with visuals showing personnel dragging Rahul and holding him by all the limbs while whisking him away. The party alleged he was manhandled in the process.