From Nadda to Gandhi, CJP seeks support for youths protesting against NEET paper leak

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) The Cockroach Janta Party on Tuesday said it has reached out to leaders across party lines, including JP Nadda and Rahul Gandhi, inviting them to Jantar Mantar to stand in solidarity with the youth protesting against the alleged NEET paper leak. In a post on X on Tuesday, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said he and the outfit founder, Abhijeet Dipke, invited the leaders on July 9 and 10, asking them to join their peaceful protest against the alleged NEET paper leak, which is now in its 25th day. The letters were sent to BJP president Nitin Nabin, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TDP MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, and YSRCP MP P V Midhun Reddy. Among Opposition leaders, besides Gandhi, letters were addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK leaders Kanimozhi and Tiruchi Siva, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and MP Misha Bharti were also among the invitees. They had also written to TVK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, Azad Samaj Party chief Chandra Shekhar Azad; and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi. "Even before these letters, and in the days since, several political leaders from the list and their party members have extended their support to our youth movement. Many have visited Jantar Mantar, while others have invited our delegation for discussions. We sincerely thank each one of them for standing with India's youth," Das said. He said they "continue to await responses from several others". "We again sincerely appeal to the leaders to keep aside their politics and lend their voice to the voice of the young. This movement is about an entire generation demanding accountability for examination paper leaks, recruitment failures, and justice and compensation for the families of students who lost their lives at the hands of this corrupt, broken education system," he said. "History will remember who stood with the youth when they called for justice. We only appeal that all of us stand on the right side of history," Das added. Dipke, in a post on X, said they have raised their demands with leaders from different parties. "The Cockroach Janta Party has reached out to all political parties regarding our demand of sacking the education minister and Rs. 1 cr compensation to the families of students who died by suicide," Dipke said. Since the protest began on June 20, the agitation has drawn support from leaders of opposition parties, academicians, activists and public figures. Among those who have visited the protest site are former Delhi chief minister Atishi leading an AAP member, Samajwadi Party MP Pushpendra Saroj, TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Sagarika Ghose, CPI(M) MP Amra Ram, veteran CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, former Kerala ministers K K Shailaja, Thomas Isaac, K N Balagopal and P Rajeev, and Tripura Leader of Opposition and CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Jitendra Chaudhury. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant also visited the site and extended support to the protesters. The agitation has also received support from actor Prakash Raj, Punjabi singer Kaka (Ravinder Singh), delegations of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the Assam Jatiya Parishad Youth Wing, and several academics and civil society members. In the latest development, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray separately spoke to him over the phone to enquire about Sonam Wangchuk's health. According to Dipke, both leaders expressed concern over Wangchuk's deteriorating condition and extended support to the proposed march to Parliament on July 20. PTI AO KSI KSI