New Delhi: Six days after protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar seeking changes to India's reservation system, Harsh Dubey and other representatives of the movement met Union Health Minister J P Nadda in Delhi on Thursday, taking the dialogue with the government a step further. The meeting came days after Dubey and other representatives met Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak in Lucknow on August 22. Pathak had assured them that their demands would be taken to the BJP's central leadership and that efforts would be made to arrange a meeting with a Union minister. The delegation that met Nadda included Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan and Mrityunjay Pathak. In a post on X after the meeting, Nadda said the interaction had been scheduled following the August 21 Jantar Mantar protest and described the discussion with the delegation as "cordial". 21 अगस्त को जंतर मंतर पर हुए आंदोलन के उपरान्त पूर्व निर्धारित समय के अनुसार श्री हर्ष दुबे, श्री रण बहादुर सिंह चौहान व श्री मृत्युंजय पाठक, टीम के सदस्यों से सौहार्द पूर्ण वार्ता हुई। इस क्रम में हम शीघ्र ही फिर मिलेंगे। — Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) August 27, 2026 He also indicated that the talks were not over and said the two sides would meet again soon. Reports said the meeting was held at Nadda's residence in Delhi. Dubey separately described the meeting as a "positive initiative" and an important step towards dialogue. He said the delegation had briefly discussed the August 21 demonstration with Nadda and would meet him again soon in an effort to move towards what he described as a positive and just outcome for all sections of society. Dubey also sought to underline that the movement was not directed against any particular community. "Our objective is not against any section, but to put forward our views democratically and peacefully for equal opportunities, a just system and necessary reforms in the national interest," he said, adding that further information would be officially announced later. सर्व समाज के हित में सकारात्मक पहल 🇮🇳 आज हमारी टीम ने माननीय श्री जे. पी. नड्डा जी से मुलाकात की। इस दौरान 21 अगस्त को हुए प्रदर्शन के संबंध में उनसे संक्षिप्त चर्चा हुई। यह मुलाकात संवाद की दिशा में एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है। हम बहुत जल्द पुनः माननीय नड्डा जी से मुलाकात करेंगे और... — Harsh dubey (@Harshdubey9956) August 27, 2026 From Jantar Mantar to Lucknow and Delhi The latest meeting follows the reservation reform mobilisation at Jantar Mantar on August 21. Participants in the demonstration demanded changes to the existing reservation framework. Among the demands publicly articulated at the protest were a government white paper reviewing reservation, sub-categorisation or "quota within quota", minimum qualifying marks in higher education and greater benefits for people covered by the Economically Weaker Sections category. Delhi Police had initially said permission had not been granted for the proposed gathering at Jantar Mantar. Protesters nevertheless assembled there, and several were detained during the demonstration. A day later, Dubey and other representatives appeared with Pathak in Lucknow, where the Deputy Chief Minister said their concerns would be conveyed to the central leadership. Thursday's meeting with Nadda therefore marks the first publicly acknowledged interaction between Dubey's delegation and a senior Union minister following Pathak's intervention. Ajeet Bharti challenges the negotiation However, the meeting also brought differences within the wider reservation reform mobilisation into the open. YouTuber and reservation-reform activist Ajeet Bharti, who was among the prominent voices at the August 21 Jantar Mantar protest, posted a sharply worded response to Nadda's announcement. Bharti sarcastically addressed Nadda as "Negotiation Pratap" and questioned why the talks were being held with Dubey's delegation. He claimed that a letter earlier submitted by Dubey did not even mention the word "reservation" and objected to Anand Swaroop, whom he described as one of the biggest faces of the movement, not being part of the discussions. श्री नेगोशिएशन प्रताप @JPNadda जी, सादर चरणस्पर्श! अभी आपका यह पोस्ट प्राप्त हुआ और मन आह्लादित हो गया कि सरकार ने आदरणीय हर्ष भाई जी की चिट्ठी पर (जिसमें आरक्षण शब्द ही नहीं था) विचार किया और आप पुनः मिलेंगे। आपसे एक त्रुटि हो गई कि आपने आंदोलन के सबसे बड़े चेहरे श्री आनंद... https://t.co/YpWJoEesNu — Ajeet Bharti (@ajeetbharti) August 27, 2026 Bharti also made a series of allegations about the circumstances surrounding Dubey's engagement with the government, including claims that Dubey had been "planted" and that the negotiation process was being staged. These allegations have not been independently established. He accused the government of using what he described as an old strategy of recognising a chosen individual as the leader of a movement, negotiating with that person and then overlooking what he considered the movement's actual demands. Bharti further asserted that the government would eventually have to accept those demands even without holding talks with him. His reaction highlights an emerging fault line within the reservation reform mobilisation, while Dubey's group has begun formal discussions with political leaders, other prominent voices associated with the August 21 protest are questioning both the negotiating mandate of that delegation and the demands being presented to the government. With Nadda and Dubey both saying another meeting will take place soon, the next round of talks could determine not only the government's response to the agitation but also which set of demands and representatives come to define the movement.
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