- CJP insists Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.
- Third round of talks with the Centre is scheduled for Saturday.
- Centre agrees in principle to compensation and no action against protesters.
- Government rules out Pradhan’s resignation despite protest demands.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th July: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday intensified its protest against the Centre, declaring that the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remains a non-negotiable condition ahead of the third round of talks with the government.
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said there was little purpose in continuing negotiations if the government was unwilling to remove the Education Minister.
“Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is NON-NEGOTIABLE. If it’s a no from the government, there’s no point in further discussion,” Ranka posted on X.
The third round of discussions is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives for nearly two hours on Friday at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.
The CJP has placed three key demands before the Centre: the resignation of the Education Minister, a guarantee that no legal action will be taken against protesting students, and ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.
After Friday’s meeting, JP Nadda said the government would respond after internal consultations. “They had three main demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and convey the government’s views,” he said.
Government sources indicated that the Centre has agreed in principle to two of the demands—ensuring no legal action against protesting students and providing compensation to affected families. However, they maintained that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not under consideration, asserting that the government continues to back the minister.
Meanwhile, the Centre has announced several measures to curb examination paper leaks, including fast-track courts for paper leak cases, proposed amendments to strengthen anti-paper leak laws, the replacement of the Education Secretary, the removal of 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and a comprehensive overhaul of the examination system.
Reacting to the dismissal of NTA officials, Ranka said the action was insufficient and reiterated that political accountability ultimately rests with the Education Minister, insisting that his resignation remains essential for any breakthrough in the talks.
