'Govt sought time till tomorrow on Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation demand': CJP afte
'Govt sought time till tomorrow on Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation demand': CJP after second meeting
M.U.H
24/07/202616
Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das met union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on Friday, as part of the second such high-level meeting with the Centre amid ongoing student protests in Delhi. After the meeting, Ranka told the media that the government has “in-principle” agreed to two demands and has sought time till tomorrow to respond to union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation demand.
This was the second meeting between the government and the CJP, which has been spearheading a big protest seeking education reforms and resignation of Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak case.
“Dharmendra Pradhan needs to resign or he needs to be sacked. We spoke to the government in detail about this. The government has sought time till tomorrow afternoon to respond to this demand,” Ranka told reporters, warning that delay in Pradhan's removal would only make the protest bigger.
Meanwhile, JP Nadda said that the meeting with the CJP lasted two hours, during which three demands and five reform suggestions for exams were discussed. “We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and tell them about the discussion we had among the Government,” Nadda said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
‘In-principle agreement on 2 demands’
CJP's Ashutosh Ranka also said that during the meeting the government approved “in-principle” two demands by the CJP - compensation for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide, and no legal action against student protesters.
Ranka said the CJP hopes the government would sack Pradhan soon. He also said that another meeting with the Centre is planned for Saturday, July 25.
Not just the CJP, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has also been demanding Pradhan resignation and assurance from the government that no legal action would be taken against students involved in the recent clash with police on July 20, the day the CJP called the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.
Wangchuk, who ended his 26-day hunger strike after midnight today, said that the government assured him in writing that families of students who died by suicide due to the NEET paper leaks would be compensated.
He also said that the government in a written statement said it was "positive on not registering cases against those protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and those participating in the march to Parliament on July 20."
Dipke's warning to detentions today
Meanwhile, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has said he has received information that the government would try to “detain or arrest” protesters tonight. He said that a much larger crowd is expected to join over the weekend and said that more police action would only ensure that the protest grows bigger.
"We have been informed that since tomorrow is Saturday, followed by Sunday, a much larger crowd is expected. That is why the government is trying to detain or arrest us tonight,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
The government has been saying that it is ready to discuss the NEET paper leak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also made big announcements since then, including the setting up of fast-track courts. Despite the government's moves and Wangchuk ending his indefinite fast, Pradhan's resignation remains a “non-negotiable” for the CJP.
