At Jantar Mantar, supporters continue to pour to support Cockroach Janta Party’s movement
| Photo Credit:
SONU KISHAN
The tussle between the opposition and ruling NDA coalition over fixing accountability on NEET examination paper leak continued on Wednesday, with parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijuju saying that the government is ready for discussion in the House on education reform but the Congress is bringing new conditions to scuttle the debate.
Outside Parliament, the protest seeking resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for NEET paper leak has spread beyond Jantar Mantar to Mumbai, Chandigarh, Patna, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, among other places, voicing solidarity with Delhi agitators. At Jantar Mantar, supporters continue to pour to support Cockroach Janta Party’s movement.
The government expressed it’s readiness to resolve the issue of students. CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said police informed the outfit on Wednesday morning that Union Minister JP Nadda wanted to hold discussions and had invited them to his residence. “We refused to go to anyone’s house or office. The people’s court is here. Ministers should come among the people. If they want to talk, the talks should be held at Jantar Mantar,” he said.
Exerting more pressure on the treasury benches, Congress president and Member of Parliament Mallikarjun Kharge said in Rajya Sabha, which resumed at 2 pm after several adjournments since morning, insisted that Pradhan should resign for a fair discussion to take place on fixing accountability over several paper leak and education reform.
“If there has to be a fair discussion, Education Minister should resign first. Until he resigns, there won’t be a fair discussion here,” he said.
DMK’s Tiruchi Siva joined the opposition demanding discussion under Rule 267, which requires suspension of specific rules related to listed business in the Rajya Sabha.
To that, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “We have said from day one that the government is always prepared to discuss any matter concerning the national interest and the interests of the youth. However, it has to be decided under which rule the discussion will take place. There is a proper system for holding discussions in Parliament. Taking to the streets and creating a ruckus is not the right approach. The discussion should be meaningful.” But, Congress is introducing new conditions to create obstacle in the debate to happen, he added.
After PM Narendra Modi set the template of engagement on the issue during NDA meeting a day before, the government fielded senior Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh to attack the opposition and at the same time reach out to protesting youth to blunt the charge that the NDA has unresponsive and heavy-handed.
Singh stated that the ongoing protests in Delhi are a matter of serious concern. It is extremely unfortunate that some people are trying to use our students and youth as political tools to serve their own vested interests. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our government remains fully committed to fulfilling the aspirations of students and young people and ensuring their welfare. It is our responsibility to listen to every concern of our students and address it. I have complete faith that India’s aware, mature, and discerning youth understand such misleading attempts and will choose the path of progress, development, and nation-building,” stated the Defence Minister.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi immediately remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan from his post, apologize to students, and take action against those responsible for the repressive action against protesting students. Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi said, “They are not terrorists; they are our future,” adding that the Congress party stands “100 percent” with the students’ demands.
In the day full of events, social activist Anna Hazare, who had spearheaded the 2011 anti-corruption movement which was a major turning point in modern Indian civil activism, too jumped into the fray.
Hazare wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying police action during the students’ protest were “deeply distressing.” He advocated that “dialogue” was always preferable to confrontation in a democracy.
“If accountability is fixed and the resignation of a minister is taken, the government will not lose power. Rather, it will send a clear message to other ministers that if they do not discharge the responsibilities of their departments properly, they too will have to relinquish their posts. This will make the functioning of the government more accountable and effective,” Hazare said lending his voice to the agitators.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was forcibly taken out from Jantar Mantar where he was on a hunger fast, also wrote to Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Wangchuk, recuperating at Medanta Hospital, stated that he will break his fast provided government fixes accountability in the paper leak episode and assures that no punitive action would be taken against students, as Delhi police has lodged several FIRs against the protestors after the lathi charge during sansad chalo march on Monday.
Anticipating continued rush, 16 metro stations near to parliament were temporarily closed in the morning due to security reasons but were opened later in the day, as per the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
Meanwhile, a Delhi Police Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Jai Prakash, was injured on Wednesday after protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting during the ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET exam paper leak, police said.
Published on July 22, 2026