A third round of talks between the protest team of the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) and government officials will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026, with the fifth day of the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi underway. The central issue that has yet to be resolved in the two rounds of negotiations is that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is to be asked to resign by CJP. National spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka has said that this demand cannot be “negotiated” and that the group is interested in getting a “yes or no” answer on the issue, as any further “deliberation” is “very little,” as it were.

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The protest originated from the outrage over the paper leak in the NEET-UG exam, which led to a movement among the youth demanding a march to Parliament on July 20. That march turned violent, with demonstrators claiming that police used excessive force in their attempt to disperse them, such as pellet guns and electric shock batons, which disability rights organisations, doctors’ associations and civil society groups have condemned the police. Some of the central demands of CJP include a public apology to students who were hurt during this crackdown, an assurance that no more FIRs will be filed against protestors and a compensation package of ₹1 crore to be given to families of students who have committed suicide after the paper leak controversy.

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The Delhi police has patrolled Jantar Mantar heavily. The officials have set up extra barricades, welded and chained to prevent people tampering with them, and extra police presence, with mobile camera vans which cross-check messages with cops’ files to see if anyone is on record. This has sparked two new issues on privacy and facial recognition at a public demonstration site. The July 20 march protesters’ FIRs had increased to 13 as of Saturday morning, Delhi Police said.

To make matters even worse, 18 stations on the Delhi Metro in the heart of the city have been closed for a fourth consecutive day at the command of the railway police due to “security concerns. Major interchange and central corridor stations, like Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Barakhambha Road, Central Secretariat, Khan Market, and the New Delhi station have been affected, but some still operate interchange facilities at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House, and Central Secretariat. Internet services have also been suspended in and around Jantar Mantar, Sansad Marg and part of central Delhi for the third day in a row. CJP leaders have decried a parallel traffic advisory which effectively bars access to food, water, sanitation, medical and power at the protest site, describing it as an attempt to “lay siege” on the gathering. Despite these restrictions, it has been reported that a crowd of protesters attended the protest venue.

The movement is carried forward not only in Delhi but also in other places. The All India Students’ Association (AISA) on Tuesday launched a pan-Statewide “Bihar Bandh” against alleged police lathi-charges on students in Patna earlier this week. Before the call for the shutdown, several CPI(ML) activists and AISA activists, including a sitting MLA and a former president of JNU Students’ Union, were arrested. After violence during a student solidarity march from Sealdah station to Esplanade on July 24, police in Kolkata have filed six cases, five of which involve attacks on media personnel.

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As the events unfolded, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared his personal experience on the movement’s Facebook page, saying he had been diagnosed with typhoid but would continue the movement till the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. In the meantime, activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had earlier made a hunger strike which captured the nation’s attention, replied to the criticism of ending his fast in the presence of Union Ministers. Wangchuk has also denied in a video statement that he was engaged in any secret negotiations with the government, saying that he had withdrawn from the fast because he feared the “stand-off” could lead to a stricter crackdown on students and protesters at Jantar Mantar.

At the policy level, the Centre has taken steps to seek resolution to the root cause of the paper-leak controversy, through administrative and legislative action. This includes the dismissal of 47 officials from the National Testing Agency (NTA), and toughening up the paper-leak law already in place. This was not the first time that the government has discussed harsher penalties for paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier announced it via a late-night video message that a new bill would be introduced in the ongoing Parliament session to provide for stricter penalties. This draft bill had earlier been approved by the Union Cabinet. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta welcomed the parallel plan to set up fast-track courts for paper leak cases, saying it marks a big stride towards justice for students.

Delhi-based universities have been taking a cautious approach to the protests. Both Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia had issued notices to students, saying they would be held accountable for violating the anti-protest law in and around Jantar Mantar following a previous advisory from Delhi University. The advisories have come under scrutiny from student groups and civil liberties organizations, who say they could be used to suppress free democratic speech.

The third round of negotiations is underway, and the outcome will depend mainly on the clarity that the government will provide on the resignation demand. CJP has indicated that if it did not get a clear response, it would head toward a “tougher stance,” meaning that the standoff at Jantar Mantar will likely not lead to de-escalation in the immediate future as long as the group does not receive a clear answer on its secondary demands, compensation and legal protection for protesters.