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Pradhan announced his resignation from the post on X. He said that he was taking the decision keeping the future of students in mind. "...To ensure that anti-national elements are not benefitted by the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, students in India do not get tangled in legal complexities and focus on their studies and their career, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister...," the letter reads.
Hours before the third round of talks with the Centre, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has hardened its stand. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka on Saturday morning made it clear that there is no point in further discussions if the government is not ready to sack Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. "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.
Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh held the second round of talks with CJP representatives at the Constitution Club on Friday afternoon. The third round of talks is slated for Saturday afternoon, as the ministers had told the CJP team that they would get back on their demands. The CJP has put forth three demands - resignation of Pradhan, a guarantee of no legal action against protesters, and Rs 1 crore compensation for families of students who died by suicide after the NEET paper leak.
At Friday's talks, the Centre agreed in principle to two major demands of the protesters - no legal action against protesting students and compensation. But the resignation of the Education Minister remains a sticking point. "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 after Friday's talks.
While the protesters say that Pradhan's resignation is "non-negotiable", government sources have told that the minister's resignation is not on the cards. The sources said the government feels "resignation is the easiest decision to take", adding that it "stands with the minister". "People have given us the mandate, and we will deliver," a government source told.
Meanwhile, the Centre has taken a series of steps in the last two days to check the paper leak menace. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the setting up of fast-track courts to try paper leak cases. The government is also planning amendments to the law against paper leaks to bring in stricter punishment and fines. The Centre has replaced the education secretary and has also sacked 47 officials of the testing body, NTA, and has promised a total overhaul soon. Reacting to the Centre's decision to sack 47 NTA officials, CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the move alone was not enough. "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.
