The Indian government on Friday sought time until Saturday afternoon to decide on the removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, even as it “in-principle” accepted two other key demands from Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to quell escalating student protests in the capital.
Following a second round of high-level discussions with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka informed the media that the government has agreed to provide compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide, reports NDTV.
The Centre has reportedly committed to taking no legal action against student protesters involved in recent demonstrations.
However, the primary demand for the resignation or sacking of Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak case remains a flashpoint. Ranka, who represented the CJP alongside Saurav Das, warned that any delay in removing the minister would only serve to expand the scale of the agitation.
“Dharmendra Pradhan needs to resign or he needs to be sacked. We spoke to the government in detail about this. The government has sought time till tomorrow afternoon to respond to this demand,” Ranka told reporters, noting that CJP considers this demand “non-negotiable”.
The development follows climate activist Sonam Wangchuk ending his 26-day hunger strike after midnight on Friday. Wangchuk said he received written assurances from the government regarding compensation for families affected by the paper leak.
He added that the authorities expressed a “positive” outlook on not registering cases against those who participated in “Sansad Chalo” march on 20 July or those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar.
Tensions remain high as CJP Founder Abhijeet Dipke warned of potential police crackdowns tonight. Dipke claimed to have received information that the government may attempt to “detain or arrest” activists to prevent a much larger crowd from joining the protests over the weekend.
“We have been informed that since tomorrow is Saturday, followed by Sunday, a much larger crowd is expected. That is why the government is trying to detain or arrest us tonight,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
While the government maintains it is ready to discuss the NEET paper leak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced measures including fast-track courts, the CJP remains steadfast in its demand for Pradhan’s departure. Any further police action, Dipke cautioned, would only ensure the protest grows larger.
