Centre, CJP hold press conference
New Delhi: After 36 days of sit-ins, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has formally called off its protests at Jantar Mantar. Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told the media that the government has assured them all their demands would be accepted.
“Our demands were not radical but basic, and the government has now accepted them,” Ranka said. “The government accepted all our demands after 36 days of protest.”
“We formally call off the protests,” said CJP spokesperson Saurav Das.
When asked about the Rs 1 crore compensation to the victims’ families, Union Minister JP Nadda said, “The government’s sympathies are with the families of those who died by suicide. Honorary compensation will be based on rules.”
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister on Saturday over the NEET paper leak amid the ongoing nationwide protests.
In a two-page letter written in Hindi, Pradhan said he had always had unwavering faith in the power of democracy and deeply respected the aspirations of the country’s youth. He said that anti-national forces should not be allowed to take advantage of the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country.
“I took responsibility of NEET paper leak from day one,” he wrote.
Another meeting between the government and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was underway on Saturday, shortly after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet.
It is to be seen how the government navigates the two other key demands of the CJP — Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of those who died by suicide after the cancellation of the May 3 NEET-UG and withdrawal of the FIRs against protesters.
CJP spokespersons Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, in a first joint press conference with a government delegation, said the next round of talks will be held after four weeks.
“Our first demand, that is the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, has been met. We have put forward our other two demands – Rs 1 crore as compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the NEET UG paper leak and no criminal or legal action or withdrawal of FIRs (if any) against protestors.
The government has assured us that no action will be taken against protesters. The Centre must withdraw FIRs already filed against protesters,” said CJP spokesperson Saurav Das.
05:18 pm: Calling Gen Z a true ‘Vishwaguru’, Gitanjali Angmo, wife of Sonam Wangchuk, posted on X saying, “If anyone has shown what it means for India to be a Vishwaguru, it is our Gen Z. They have lived Sanatan Dharma, not preached it. Courage without hate. Strength without violence. Patriotism without blind obedience.”
She added: “Maybe it’s time the Hindu nationalist party learnt a thing or two from these young Indians about Hinduism, nationalism, and what it truly means to be a Vishwaguru.”
05:05 pm: Former West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday joined a protest at Padmapukur here in support of students agitating over the NEET paper leak issue after the Calcutta High Court refused permission for a proposed rally, with the demonstration triggering a confrontation between police and supporters of the TMC’s Kalighat faction.
05:03 pm: The New Delhi Municipal Council cleared around 27 metric tonnes of mixed waste from the Jantar Mantar protest site and surrounding areas on July 24, up from around 15 metric tonnes removed since midnight a day earlier.
05:00 pm: Relief and joy replaced months of anxiety for the parents of CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday, July 25, after the extraordinary campaign led by him culminated in Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
04:31 pm: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying the government had been “forced to bend” before the youth and students of India.
Vadra termed the development a victory for the country’s youth and students, “who did not bend.”
BRS leader T Harish Rao described Pradhan’s resignation as a “major victory” for the country’s youth.
In a post on X, he said, “Major victory for the country’s youth. The vibe shift is real. Congratulations !!”
03:48 pm: Abhijeet Dipke, while addressing the crowd at Jantar Mantar, asked protesters not to make him into a hero as the country was “ruined” because of making one person a hero.
“I salute you all. Because Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, don’t make me a hero, don’t make that mistake,” he said. “Ek insaan ko hero banaane ke wajese, yeh desh ka kabaada hua hai (The country has been ruined by turning a single individual into a hero).”
Stone-pelting broke out at Jantar Mantar shortly after the announcement of Pradhan’s resignation, prompting security forces to lob tear gas and resort to a mild lathicharge to disperse the crowd, sources told PTI.
03:42 pm: It’s a victory of democracy, said activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk, who started a hunger strike in support of the students’ movement, having ended it two days ago.
“IT’S A VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY, direct democracy… straight from the streets,” wrote Wangchuk on X. “It’s a victory of peace, patience and perseverance.”
He congratulated CJP and Gen Z of the nation, and thanked every citizen “for shedding fear and the fear of fear and rising up from every corner of the nation.”
“FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, NOW TO REFORMS,” Wangchuk added.
03:35 pm: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar said Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation reflects BJP’s philosophy of “nation first, party next, self last.”
03:32 pm: Abhijeet Dipke told protesters at Jantar Mantar that big thrones will be shaken only if there is no Hindu-Muslim politics. “Whether or not you have grasped a particular point over the last thirty-six days, I want to state it clearly today: if politics shifts away from Hindu-Muslim rhetoric and focuses instead on substantive issues, the foundations of major political powers will be shaken. If we rise above Hindu-Muslim politics and discuss real issues, it will be for the good of the country,” said Dipke.
“Hindu Muslim ki rajneethi nahi chalegi nahi chalegi,” chanted the protesters.
03:00 pm: “Aise nai jaayenge (We won’t go like this),” said Abhijeet Dipke after Pradhan announced his resignation, adding that their “demand roster” has been updated.
CJP wrote on X, “1. Dharmedra Pradhan must resign – check
2. Rs 1 Cr to the families of all students who died by suicide – Pending
3. No action against any of the student protesters – Pending
4. Public Apology From RAF & Delhi Police – Pending”
Addressing protesters at Jantar Mantar, Dipke said all the “police goons” who acted against student protesters on July 20 must face stringent action and emphasised the Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of students who died by suicide over NEET paper leak.
02:31 pm: Protesters at Jantar Mantar rejoiced following Pradhan’s announcement, with Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke exclaiming “We have done it!”
“We have done it. Dharmendra Pradhan resign kardiye. We have bloody done it. Kya kehte the, iss sarkar me istife nahi hote the (What did they used to say that in this government, ‘resignations did not exist’).”
The protesters chanted back, “Hote hai“
02:00 pm: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) condemned the “increasingly authoritarian actions” of the Delhi Police, urging them to stop laying siege at Janar Mantar.
01:56 pm: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hit out at the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, accusing them of ruining the future of students and youths, while crediting the Narendra Modi government for taking stringent steps against examination paper leaks and “copying mafia”.
He alleged that “the copying mafia is the legacy of the Congress and the Samajwadi Party”, and that they nurtured and protected these elements, and “today they are shedding crocodile tears.”
01:48 pm: The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) has announced that it will join the ongoing students’ protest in Delhi in solidarity. The union will march to the national capital on Monday, July 27, and said its members will remain in Delhi until the demands of the students are met.
01:43 pm: Members of left-wing student organisations held demonstrations, with police lathicharging protesters in several districts of Bihar on Saturday. The demonstrations were held in support of the statewide bandh against the NEET paper leak and police action on protesting students, officials said.
The bandh elicited a mixed response across the state, with districts like Patna witnessing stone pelting, while Nalanda, Nawada, Jehanabad, and Rohtas had little impact
01:41 pm: Several X posts on Saturday claimed that some students of Jamia Millia Islamia were detained by Delhi Police as they were returning from the Jantar Mantar protest site, even as police sources said that verification of around 150 persons detained on Friday night was underway.
A police source said around 150 people were detained from different locations during security checks on Friday night, and their identities and backgrounds were being verified.
01:38 pm: Liquor shops across Delhi will shut two hours earlier than usual, at 8 pm instead of 10 pm, until the weekend ends in view of the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar.
01:33 pm: The Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party has issued a nationwide call for a candle march on Sunday, July 26 at 6 pm.
01:16 pm: With water supply at the protest site cut and access to nearby toilets becoming increasingly difficult, women protesters and volunteer doctors say even meeting basic hygiene needs has become a daily struggle, forcing some to leave the site and disrupting medical services.
01:08 pm: Cockraoch Janta Party said their protests will intensify further if Dharmendra Pradhan does not resign, adding that the outfit will have to issue another nationwide call for agitation.
12:44 pm: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday met a group of protesting students at his residence, including a young girl who had injured her leg. He said their demand for the ouster of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is non-negotiable, and nothing short of it will be acceptable.
Claiming that he had heard that a section of the Union Cabinet is suggesting moving Pradhan to another ministry, Gandhi said any such move will be of no help.
10:03 pm: Eighteen Delhi Metro stations in central Delhi remained closed for the fourth straight day on Saturday due to security concerns amid the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest near the Jantar Mantar.
Security arrangements have been intensified further across the national capital ahead of the weekend, with Delhi Police installing additional layers of barricades at key locations and reinforcing them with heavy-duty chains to prevent attempts to breach security cordons, officials said on Saturday.
The move follows the raging protest in Delhi by the CJP, demanding reforms in the examination system and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak, with police expecting a larger turnout of protesters through the weekend.
According to police sources, multiple rows of iron barricades have been placed on the sensitive stretches in the New Delhi district, particularly in and around the Jantar Mantar protest site and other strategic locations.
Apart from physical barricading, surveillance and security measures have also been enhanced across the city.
Facial recognition systems installed around the protest venue have already identified more than 2,500 people with criminal backgrounds entering the area over the past few days, a police source claimed.
(With PTI inputs)
This post was last modified on July 25, 2026 5:52 pm