New Delhi, July 25: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday amid the ongoing controversy over alleged examination paper leaks, stepping down hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Pradhan announced his resignation through a post on X after submitting it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The resignation came as police used tear gas to disperse protesters in Delhi ahead of fresh negotiations between CJP leaders and Union ministers.
The minister’s resignation had emerged as one of the principal demands of protesters, who have been camping at Jantar Mantar for more than a month, seeking accountability over the alleged examination irregularities and comprehensive reforms in the country’s examination system.
The Centre has not yet announced a successor to Pradhan.
The development is expected to dominate the latest round of discussions between the government and CJP leaders and is being viewed as a significant political development in the ongoing crisis surrounding the examination leak allegations. (Agencies)
CJP withdraws protest, says Govt agreed to all demands
New Delhi, July 25: The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday withdrew its 37-day agitation at Jantar Mantar, saying it had done so in “good faith” after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the Centre agreed to its key demands.
Announcing the decision at a press conference, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the protest was being called off with the understanding that the agreed commitments would be implemented within the stipulated timelines.
Following the third round of talks with Union Ministers J.P. Nadda and Jitendra Singh, the CJP said the government had agreed to provide compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and assured withdrawal of FIRs registered against protesters across the country.
The organisation also submitted a five-point charter seeking broader education and examination reforms. CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the next round of discussions with the government would be held after four weeks to review progress on the proposed reforms.
Ranka urged protesters to end the agitation and return home peacefully, stating that all the organisation’s immediate demands had been accepted.
The CJP said the Centre had assured it that copies of the FIRs would be shared within the next few days and that a written guarantee on the withdrawal of cases and future action would be provided by Tuesday.
Pradhan resigned earlier in the day, saying he was stepping down in the larger interest of students. The protest, led by the CJP along with activist Sonam Wangchuk, began after the NEET-UG paper leak controversy surfaced in May. (Agencies)
3 Police Officers injured in stone pelting
New Delhi, July 25: A Special Commissioner of Police and two other police officers were injured after a section of protesters allegedly pelted stones at security personnel at Jantar Mantar shortly after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was announced on Saturday, police sources said.
The injured officers, including Special Commissioner of Police Anil Shukla of the Special Cell, were shifted to a nearby hospital. Their condition is reported to be stable.
According to police sources, the violence broke out when some protesters allegedly turned aggressive as senior officers supervised crowd management at the protest site. As police personnel moved in to maintain order, a section of demonstrators reportedly began stone-pelting, triggering brief chaos.
Security forces responded by firing tear gas shells and carrying out a mild lathicharge to disperse the violent crowd and prevent further escalation. Police personnel later secured the area and restored normalcy.
Officials said the situation is now under control, with additional police forces deployed in and around Jantar Mantar to maintain law and order. Senior officers continued to monitor the situation following the clashes.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are examining video footage and other evidence to identify those involved in the attack on security personnel.
According to police, 15 FIRs have been registered at different police stations in New Delhi district in connection with the ongoing protests. Officials said more than 200 police personnel and over 65 protesters have sustained injuries during the agitation, and legal action is being taken.
