New Delhi: The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will continue its protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, the party's founder Abhijeet Dipke announced in a video message on Friday.
CJP Vows To Continue Protest
Dipke said the agitation would continue despite climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk ending his 26-day hunger strike, reaffirming that the movement would not lose momentum. "We are relieved and grateful that Sonam sir has ended his hunger strike after 26 days. His life is very valuable for the nation," Dipke said.
"CJP's protest will continue at Jantar Mantar till the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sonam Sir's sacrifice of 26 days will not be wasted. Also, the sacrifices of the students who faced Delhi Police's brutality will not go in vain. Hence, our protest will continue till Dharmendra Pradhan resigns," he added.
Sonam Wangchuk Ends Fast
Wangchuk ended his indefinite fast late on Thursday night after Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh visited him at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram and helped him break his fast.
PM Modi Addresses Controversy
The development came amid the continuing political storm over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi releasing a late-night video message outlining the Centre's response to the controversy.
Addressing students and their families, the Prime Minister described paper leaks as a serious issue that had caused anxiety among lakhs of aspirants across the country. He said the government had taken stringent action against those responsible, with the accused arrested and currently in jail.
Modi said the government's immediate priority was to ensure that students did not lose an academic year because of the controversy. However, he stressed that the larger objective was to strengthen the examination system to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Proposal For Legal Reforms
He announced that the government had prepared a proposal for a fast-track judicial mechanism to deal with examination paper leak cases. According to the Prime Minister, the proposal received approval late on Thursday after consultations with the concerned departments.
Modi said the proposal would be placed before the Union Cabinet on Friday for discussion and would be refined based on ministers' suggestions. He added that the government intends to introduce legislation on the issue when Parliament reconvenes for the second week of the ongoing Monsoon Session on Monday.
