New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has toughened its stance ahead of the third round of talks with the Centre, making it clear that there is little scope for further negotiations unless Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is removed from office.
On Saturday morning, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka declared that the minister’s resignation remains the movement’s foremost demand.
“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.
Third Round Of Talks Scheduled
The third round of negotiations between the Centre and CJP representatives is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh held nearly two hours of discussions with the protest leaders at the Constitution Club on Friday.
Following the meeting, Nadda said the government would deliberate internally before responding to the protesters’ remaining demands.
“The meeting went on for almost two hours. They had three main demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) and tell them about the discussions we had within the government,” Nadda said.
Three Core Demands
The CJP has been pressing the government to accept three key demands:
- Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
- A written guarantee that no legal action will be taken against students and protesters.
- ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak controversy.
During Friday’s discussions, the Centre agreed in principle to two of these demands — refraining from legal action against peaceful protesters and considering compensation for affected families.
However, the Education Minister’s resignation remains the biggest point of disagreement.
Government Stands By Education Minister
Government sources have indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not being considered.
According to the sources, the Centre believes resigning would be the “easiest decision” but maintains confidence in the minister.
“People have given us the mandate, and we will deliver,” a government source told NDTV, adding that the government continues to stand firmly behind Pradhan.
Centre Announces Tougher Measures Against Paper Leaks
Even as negotiations continue, the Centre has announced a series of measures aimed at strengthening the examination system and tackling paper leak cases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced the establishment of fast-track courts to expedite trials related to examination paper leaks.
The government is also preparing amendments to existing anti-paper leak legislation, proposing stricter prison terms and heavier financial penalties for offenders.
In addition, the Centre has:
- Replaced the Education Secretary.
- Removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
- Promised a comprehensive overhaul of the examination body.
CJP Says Reforms Alone Are Not Enough
Reacting to the government’s action against NTA officials, Ashutosh Ranka welcomed the developments but insisted they did not address the issue of accountability.
“We’ll have to look into a lot of details, but we’re talking about the same thing again. The ultimate accountability is with the education minister, because he is directly responsible for all the paper leaks and the students who committed suicide after the NEET paper leak. He will have to resign,” Ranka said.
With both sides maintaining firm positions on the minister’s future, Saturday’s third round of talks is expected to determine whether the ongoing dialogue moves toward a resolution or reaches a deadlock.