CJP says Union govt sought time till July 25 on Pradhan resignation demand

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), on Friday, July 24, said the Union government has sought time till Saturday (July 25) afternoon to respond to its demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This was following the second round of talks between the government and the protesters amid the ongoing nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities.The nearly two-hour meeting was held at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi and was attended by Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh on behalf of the Union government. The CJP delegation comprised national spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ashutosh Ranka said the government's response to the resignation demand was still awaited. "The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the government will remove him soon."Ranka also said that the Union government had expressed in-principle approval for two other demands raised by the protesters."The government has expressed in-principle approval on the two demands of compensation (for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide) and withdrawal of FIRs, legal cases on student protesters."The resignation of the Education Minister has remained the central demand of the month-long agitation led by the CJP, which has been spearheading protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. The demonstrations intensified earlier this week, with protesters attempting to march towards Parliament.Earlier in the day, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reiterated that the protest would continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down. "Nothing short of resignation [of Dharmendra Pradhan] is acceptable to us. The protest will not be called off."Abhijeet Dipke also maintained that the agitation was being led by students and youth rather than political parties."This protest belongs to the youth of the nation and is not limited to Sonam Wangchuk or Dipke. This protest belongs to the youth of the nation, not the Opposition parties. If the government wants a solution to the protest, it is only the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan."Following the meeting, Union Minister JP Nadda said discussions covered the protesters' demands as well as suggestions for reforms in the examination system. "The meeting went on for almost two hours. They had three main demands and five reform suggestions for exams. We have told them that we will meet them again tomorrow afternoon and tell them about the discussion within the government," he said.The second round of dialogue came after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike on July 23, after receiving assurances from the Union government on the NEET issue and reforms in the country's competitive examination system.The CJP has, however, maintained that protests will continue until its key demands, including Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, are met. A third round of talks between the two sides is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.