PM's response insufficient, won't leave Jantar Mantar until Pradhan resigns: CJP

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on action against paper leaks did not address the issue of accountability and reiterated its demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

In a post on X earlier in the day, Modi announced the setting up of fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks, saying "nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth".

Reacting to the prime minister's post, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke shared an image of Pradhan with the caption, "Hi, my name is nothing", while the party posted, "Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign."


CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the prime minister's response was welcome but came after nearly one-and-a-half months of protests and failed to address the root cause behind repeated paper leaks.

Also Read: CJP alleges BJP workers tried to disrupt NEET protest, vows agitation will continue

"The first thing is that it is good that after one-and-a-half months of protests, the prime minister has finally taken notice. Perhaps his foreign visits are over and he has returned to India, which is a good thing," Ranka said.

He said announcing punishment after a paper leak had already taken place would not solve the larger issue.

"But what punishment are you imposing after the paper leak has already taken place? That is not going to solve the problem of paper leaks. The real question is why paper leaks are happening in the first place. That question must be answered," he said.

Ranka said the focus should be on preventing paper leaks rather than acting after the damage had been done.

"Applying ointment after an injury is one thing, but the real fight is about preventing the injury from happening in the first place. The injury keeps happening because the people running the system are neither accountable nor competent. Therefore, these measures are not sufficient by any means," he said.

Reiterating that the protest would continue, Ranka said, "We will not leave this place until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns."

He also claimed that public anger over the issue was increasingly being directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"...A large number of people are here with passion and determination, and everyone is demanding his resignation. But as the days pass, the issue is no longer confined to Dharmendra Pradhan," Ranka said.

Also Read:Rahul to PM: 'You harmed our youth's future' on NEET row

"The focus is now shifting towards the prime minister. If you listen to the slogans here, you will find that people's anger is increasingly being directed at him over why he is not listening to them. The government should understand this because people have now started asking questions directly to the Prime Minister," he said.

Meanwhile, Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali Angmo, urged people not to link the ongoing protest with incidents of violence without evidence, saying the demonstration at Jantar Mantar had remained peaceful.

"As an educator, I find it deeply painful to watch the image of our students being tarnished in the media. The students' protest is taking place peacefully at Jantar Mantar. If there are reports of violence elsewhere in Delhi, please do not rush to attribute them to this movement without evidence," she said in a post on X.

Angmo said those familiar with the movement had witnessed the students' "extraordinary patience, discipline and restraint". "I often wonder: what kind of system is so quick to distrust its own students? Why is it easier to question their intentions than to hear their concerns?" she said, adding, "Our children deserve to be protected, not portrayed as villains. Their voices deserve to be heard, not drowned out by narratives that serve vested interests."

Separately, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) backed the students' demand for accountability in the NEET paper leak case while condemning the violence and clashes during recent demonstrations. In a statement, the student organisation said students' legitimate grievances must be addressed through dialogue, transparency and institutional reforms. It also said it had consistently sought action against alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including NEET-UG, and had earlier demanded a central agency probe and protested outside the National Testing Agency headquarters.

The CJP-led agitation began on June 20 and is demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms in the education system and the resignation of Pradhan.

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then, has offered to end his fast if the Centre assures that no punitive action or FIRs are initiated against peaceful protesters who participated in the movement.

(With inputs from agencies)