23 July,2026 11:25 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
CJP representative Ashutosh Ranka. Pic/PTI
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday reiterated its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as student-led protests over alleged examination paper leaks continued at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.
Addressing reporters, CJP representative Ashutosh Ranka said the protest had evolved into a nationwide movement and maintained that the group's key demand remained unchanged. He added that while the protesters were willing to hold discussions with the government, they expected concrete action rather than prolonged negotiations.
Ranka claimed the movement, which began around one-and-a-half months ago, had expanded significantly and attracted support from people across the country.
"A movement started 1.5 months ago. It has awakened the whole nation. Jainism has awakened. The movement started 33 days ago. But you can see that Jantar Mantar is still full. Thousands of people are outside Jantar Mantar. Millions of people are protesting all over the country. This is a great success of the movement," he said.
His remarks came as protesters continued their sit-in at Jantar Mantar, demanding accountability over alleged examination irregularities.
Protesters insist Education Minister's resignation is non-negotiable
Ranka said the protesters remained open to talks with the Centre but questioned the purpose of further discussions when, according to him, their demands had already been made clear.
"But if they want to talk, they can come. We wanted to talk two days ago. We have wasted our time there. If they want to talk, they can come. Why are they wasting our time? Our demands are clear. We want the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan," he said.
He further added, "Will you remove him or not? You cannot suspend the Cabinet Minister. Remove him or not. What is the discussion about?"
Ranka said the protesters had communicated their position to the government in a structured manner and had informed the media after their discussions.
"We have given clear timelines. We are educated and sensible people. We talk logically. We don't talk nonsense. Our phones were confiscated between 12 and 2. We had our first meeting at 2.15. This is the first round of discussion. We got our phones at 2.30. We have updated the media," he said.
He also claimed that Union Health Minister JP Nadda had presented the government's perspective during the meeting but argued that the protest would end only if the concerns raised by demonstrators were addressed.
"JP Nadda has spread his narrative. But if he tries to address the issue, we don't have to sit here," he said.
Ranka said activist Sonam Wangchuk's vital parameters remained stable but expressed concern that his overall health was deteriorating because of his ongoing hunger strike.
"Sonam Wangchuk's health is not good. His vitals are stable, but his health is deteriorating. He is worried that police brutality may be repeated. He is worried that if police brutality is not repeated, we may file a case against the protesters," Ranka said.
The protesters also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore, the resignation of the Union Education Minister, and an assurance that no action would be taken against those participating in the agitation.
"They have put a demand to ask for a compensation of Rs 1 crore. We have asked for the same thing. We have asked for a compensation of Rs 1 crore and for the resignation of Pradhan. Thirdly, no action should be taken against any protester," he said.
On security arrangements at the protest site, Ranka said the organisation had formed a volunteer team to help maintain order and prevent any untoward incidents. He added that more volunteers would be deployed as the protest continued.
"We have a volunteer team. We are expanding it. We will deploy more volunteers. We will try to minimise this. The government has the power to negotiate. We are ordinary people. We are sleeping here. You can come and talk to us," he said.
Separately, CJP representative Abhijeet Dipke alleged that outsiders were being sent to disrupt the protest and claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers were attempting to defame the movement by provoking violence.
"People are being sent from outside to deliberately disrupt the protest. We have been sitting here for a month. No such incident has happened in a month. But now, as this protest has grown, goons are being sent from outside by the BJP to deliberately incite people," Dipke said.
The BJP has not responded to these allegations in the statement provided by ANI.
Earlier on Wednesday, Union Health Minister and Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha JP Nadda said the issue of examination paper leaks should not be politicised and described it as a serious matter requiring detailed deliberation.
Nadda said the government was prepared to discuss all aspects of the alleged NEET-UG paper leak in Parliament and reiterated the Centre's willingness to hold a comprehensive discussion on measures to strengthen the examination system.
(With inputs from ANI)
