Representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) met Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday as part of the second round of discussions with the Centre amid ongoing student protests in Delhi over education reforms and the NEET-UG paper leak issue.
After the meeting, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the government had agreed “in-principle” to two demands and sought time until Saturday to respond to the demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
“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 said.
He warned that any delay in addressing the demand could intensify the protests.
Two demands accepted in principle
Ranka said the government had agreed in principle to provide compensation to families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and assured that no legal action would be taken against student protesters.
He added that the CJP expects a decision on Pradhan’s removal soon and another meeting with the Centre is scheduled for Saturday, July 25.
Union minister JP Nadda said the meeting lasted nearly two hours, during which three demands and five suggestions related to examination reforms were discussed. He said the government would hold further discussions before responding.
Wangchuk also seeks action
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has also demanded Pradhan’s resignation and assurances that students involved in the July 20 clash with police during the “Sansad Chalo” march would not face legal action.
Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike after receiving written assurances from the government regarding compensation for families affected by NEET-related student suicides. He also said the government had indicated it was positive about not registering cases against peaceful protesters at Jantar Mantar and participants of the Parliament march.
CJP warns of possible detentions
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke alleged that the government may attempt to detain or arrest protesters ahead of the weekend demonstrations.
He said a larger number of people were expected to join the protest and warned that any police action could further expand the movement.
The government has maintained that it is willing to discuss concerns over the NEET paper leak and has announced measures, including the setting up of fast-track courts. However, the CJP has maintained that Pradhan’s resignation remains a “non-negotiable” demand.
PM Modi asks ministers to engage with youth through Instagram Reels
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has advised his Cabinet colleagues to actively engage with young people through social media platforms, particularly Instagram, by creating Reels and conducting interactive sessions.
Addressing a Cabinet meeting, Modi said a large number of young people use Instagram daily and urged ministers to use the platform not only to highlight government initiatives but also to directly communicate with the youth.
“Young people are just on Instagram. This is a potential segment of citizens that we all need to connect with,” he said, while asking ministers how many of them actively use the platform.
The suggestion came amid ongoing protests by students at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak issue and demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
On Thursday, Modi posted a video message on social media platforms, including Instagram, announcing steps to address concerns over examination irregularities. He said fast-track courts would be set up to deal with paper leak cases and assured students that action was being taken.
Thousands of students have been protesting in Delhi, with tensions rising after clashes between police and demonstrators during a march towards Parliament on July 20.
Following Modi’s video message, his Instagram followers reportedly increased by one million within a day.
(With inputs from agencies)
