New Delhi: Union Health Minister JP Nadda held discussions with a delegation of quota-reform activists on Thursday, days after the ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’ staged massive protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on August 21.
The delegation, which included NEET aspirant Harsh Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and Mrityunjay Pathak, met the minister at his official residence. Taking to the microblogging platform X, Nadda confirmed the interaction. “Following the agitation held at Jantar Mantar on August 21, a cordial discussion was held with Shri Harsh Dubey, Shri Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan, Shri Mrityunjay Pathak and members of the team, as per the pre-scheduled time. In this sequence, we will meet again soon,” he stated.
The activists have been actively demanding the replacement of the current caste-based reservation framework with an income-based quota system in public educational institutions and government jobs. Reacting to the talks, Harsh Dubey described the meeting as a “positive initiative in the interest of all sections of society” and a crucial step towards meaningful dialogue. He emphasized that the movement is not directed against any particular community but aims to democratically and peacefully seek “equal opportunity, a just system and necessary reforms in the national interest.”
This high-level meeting in the national capital materialized shortly after the delegation met Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak in Lucknow. During that interaction, Pathak had assured the activists that their demands would be communicated to the central leadership, promising an audience with a Union minister.
Nadda has increasingly emerged as the Centre’s primary troubleshooter for managing protests. He previously led negotiations on behalf of the government with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during the NEET paper leak demonstrations, and played a key role in convincing climate activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his hunger strike.
However, the recent dialogue has drawn sharp criticism from other quarters. Reservation reform activist Ajeet Bharti accused the ruling party of treating Dubey as a “planted” leader to stage a “pretence of negotiation,” warning the government to stop playing political games. Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke questioned Nadda’s omission of the protest’s core demands in his public statement, asking on X, “The country wants to know what Prime Minister Narendra Modi thinks of it.”
With Nadda promising a follow-up meeting, it remains to be seen whether this engagement will translate into concrete policy discussions or remain a political outreach exercise ahead of upcoming state elections.