The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) said on Saturday that the student-led protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar would continue despite Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, stating that three of its key demands remain unresolved. In a post on X, the group reiterated its support for the protesters and provided an updated list of pending issues, marking Pradhan's resignation as fulfilled while flagging the remaining demands as outstanding. The three unresolved demands include a payment of Rs 1 crore in compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, an assurance that no action would be taken against student protesters, and a public apology from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police over their handling of the demonstrations.
Pradhan's resignation came on Saturday, when he submitted his resignation letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid sustained political pressure and nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination process. His departure marked a significant turning point in the ongoing controversy, which had fueled widespread demands for greater accountability and systemic reform within India's examination system.
The protest movement had, over the preceding weeks, drawn support from several prominent public figures, including climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who undertook a 26-day hunger strike beginning on June 28. Wangchuk ended his fast earlier in the week after receiving written assurances from the central government, which included protection for peaceful protesters, a commitment to hold a parliamentary discussion on examination reforms and accountability, and consideration of financial assistance for the families of students who had died by suicide following the reported paper leak.
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Ahead of Pradhan's resignation, CJP representatives held a meeting lasting nearly two hours with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday to discuss the protesters' outstanding demands. CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said following the meeting that the government had expressed in-principle support for compensating affected families and withdrawing FIRs and other legal cases filed against student protesters, though no final commitments had been confirmed at that stage.
Following the Friday meeting, Nadda said the government had taken note of the delegation's concerns, which included three principal demands as well as five separate suggestions related to examination reforms. He added that internal discussions within the government were ongoing and that another round of talks with CJP representatives had been scheduled for Saturday, the same day Pradhan ultimately announced his resignation.
With Pradhan's exit now confirmed, attention has shifted toward the CJP's remaining demands, as protesters at Jantar Mantar continue to press the government for compensation, legal relief for demonstrators, and a formal apology from law enforcement personnel involved in the protests. The coming days are expected to see continued negotiations between the CJP and government representatives as both sides work toward addressing the movement's unresolved concerns.
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