Students and advocates protest in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, demand Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke during the protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. File Pic/PTI

Students and advocates staged a protest at Kranti Chowk in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Monday, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the education sector and repeated examination paper leaks, reported the PTI.

The demonstration was held in support of calls for greater accountability and reforms in the examination system.

One of the protesters, who identified herself as a NEET aspirant, questioned why the government had not fixed responsibility for the alleged examination paper leak, according to the PTI.

She also criticised the government's response to activist Sonam Wangchuk's ongoing hunger strike, saying no official statement had been issued despite his protest.

Calls for education reforms

Another protester said the Union government should have acted more quickly to improve the education system rather than focusing on removing Wangchuk from the protest site at Jantar Mantar.

The protester argued that if the education system had failed, the minister should accept responsibility and resign.

Advocates criticise police action

Advocates participating in the demonstration also criticised the police action against protesters taking part in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led 'Sansad Chalo' march in New Delhi, as per the PTI.

They alleged that the authorities were preventing people from raising legitimate questions and expressing their views through peaceful protest.

FTII students association extends support to CJP-led protests

Meanwhile, the students'' association of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) on Monday said it has extended solidarity to CJP and Sonam Wangchuk in their protests over alleged irregularities in the education sector and exam paper leaks, reported the PTI.

It held a protest on the FTII campus here this morning in support of the ''Sansad Chalo'' march of CJP.

In the light of the ongoing protests that are being held nationwide demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the students of FTII stand with the cause, the FTII Students'' Association (FSA) said in a statement.
Just in the last couple of months, the FTII entrance test paper was leaked, but there has been no accountability on the same, it said, the news agency reported.

A representative of FSA said paper leaks were not limited to a few places but had become a nationwide issue.

(with PTI inputs)