- Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan must quit, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reiterated
- Dipke said no to calling off protests without Pradhan's resignation despite Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike end
- The comments come as the Government and the CJP hold talks at a neutral venue
Nothing short of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation will do, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke underlined for the umpteenth time as his outfit began Round 2 of talks with the Centre.
"If the government wants a solution to the protest, it is only the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan,"Dipke, the 30-year-old leader, said.
"Hum manenge nahi na. Isteefe se kam kuch manjoor hi nahi hai (We won't back down, you know. Nothing short of a resignation is acceptable)," Dipke doubled down on his demand.
When pointed out what if Sonam Wangchuk, who ended his 26-day hunger strike late on Thursday night following government assurances on his key demands, asks him to call off the protest, Dipke answered in the negative.
"This movement no longer belongs solely to Abhijeet Dipke and Sonam Wangchuk; it has become a movement of the youth across the entire nation - which is why protests are taking place all over the country. Therefore, nothing short of resignation is acceptable," he underscored.
Earlier, the government had said that discussions can happen "any time" but limited the venues to either Union Minister JP Nadda's home or residence.
The CJP, which has been spearheading the student protests and demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, had maintained that the government must come to either Jantar Mantar, the site of the protest, or a neutral venue.
The government blinked first.
The talks were held at the Constiution Club of India.
"A discussion has been called. We are very happy that the government has agreed to our request that the meeting should be held at a neutral venue, and the Constitution Club of India has been chosen," Saurav Das, CJP spokesperson, told reporters.
"I hope the government comes with an open mind and listens to the people," he said.
The last round of talks between the two sides took place on July 20, when CJP national spokespersons Das and Ashutosh Ranka met JP Nadda at his residence.
The two leaders later alleged that they were kept under "virtual detention" during the meeting and said they had subsequently insisted that any future discussions with the government be held only at a neutral venue.
In a social media post on Thursday, Modi said that "nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth", promising to set up fast-track courts to punish those involved in the leaks.
His post did not mention Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, whose resignation has been one of the protesters' main demands.
"This country has seen many announcements of fast-track courts, but this is not the solution to the systemic issues in the education system," CJP spokesman Ashutosh Ranka said on X.
In another outreach to the student protesters, the Centre late on Thursday shifted Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and appointed new officials to top positions in both the school education and higher education departments.
The Ministry of Education has been at the centre of a controversy due to the NEET paper leak and alleged irregularities in the CBSE's evaluation of board exams.
Following his announcement of fast-track courts, PM Modi, in a late night video message the same day, announced that his government would take strict action against paper leaks and would discuss and finalise a law in this regard in Friday's meeting of the Union Cabinet.
PM Modi announced that a bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament next week.
The protest movement has been backed by opposition parties who too have been pushing for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
