Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 23: Protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Wednesday intensified their agitation over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) chief spokesperson Saurav Das declaring that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation was "non-negotiable" and asserting that the protest would continue until the demand was met.
Das said he had spoken several times during the day with activist Sonam Wangchuk and that both agreed the protest should remain peaceful.
"I spoke with Sonam Wangchuk several times today. The conclusion was that this protest should remain peaceful. He has also publicly appealed to all protesters to maintain peace and conduct this protest in the right manner," Das said.
He, however, alleged that anti-social elements often infiltrate protests and derail peaceful demonstrations, resulting in genuine protesters being blamed.
Targeting Union Minister and BJP president JP Nadda, Das accused him of politicising the issue.
"JP Nadda should be ashamed. People have been sitting here for over 30 days. He is the one doing the politics," he said.
Reiterating the protesters' key demand, Das said, "Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is non-negotiable. Without this, the protest will continue. It will continue for as long as it has to."
Meanwhile, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the issue of examination paper leaks should not be politicised and called for a comprehensive discussion in Parliament.
Addressing a press conference, Nadda, who is also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, said the government was ready to discuss every aspect of the NEET-UG paper leak.
"We should move beyond blame and counter-allegations and discuss this. The best medium for discussion is Parliament, and we are ready for that discussion," he said.
Nadda said the discussion should examine the causes behind paper leaks, identify those responsible, review the Centre's response, and explore measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
"What are the factors leading to the paper leak? Who are the people involved, and how has the Central Government responded? How should other governments address it? We should find a solution so that injustice is not done to millions of students," he said.
The protests at Jantar Mantar have continued for over a month, with demonstrators demanding accountability over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.