The Modi government has long maintained a firm stance that its ministers do not step down due to Opposition pressure, with exits typically occurring only during Cabinet reshuffles. Despite mounting protests, that position has largely remained unchanged. However, for the first time, the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan appears to be under consideration.
The demand was first raised by members of the Abhijeet Dipke-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who began protesting at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 6, seeking Pradhan's resignation over the alleged NEET-UG question paper leak.
The movement gained momentum after activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest and launched an indefinite hunger strike, insisting on Pradhan's resignation.
As the days passed, the government continued to signal that it would not entertain the demand, while protesters remained steadfast.
The situation shifted when Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site and admitted to a hospital due to health concerns. On Wednesday, following a meeting with Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, Wangchuk announced he would end his fast. Notably, he no longer insisted on Pradhan's resignation as a condition for ending the hunger strike.
However, a police crackdown on demonstrators marching towards Parliament on July 20 at Wangchuk's call reignited the movement. Videos showing alleged police excesses spread widely, drawing tens of thousands of protesters to Jantar Mantar.
What the government may have hoped would subside after Wangchuk ended his fast instead intensified. Since July 21, protesters have effectively occupied Jantar Mantar and surrounding areas of Connaught Place.
The demonstrators reiterated that they would not withdraw until Pradhan resigned.
On Friday, JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das at the Constitution Club in an effort to break the deadlock.
After a two-hour discussion, Ranka said the ministers had requested time until Saturday to respond to the demand for Pradhan's resignation.
"The government has asked for time till tomorrow afternoon on our demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. We hope the govt will remove him soon," Ranka told reporters.
He also said the government had, in principle, agreed to two other demands — compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and the withdrawal of FIRs and legal cases against students.
CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das maintained that Pradhan's resignation was "non-negotiable".
"We told them [the ministers] that this [Pradhan's resignation] is non-negotiable... The entire country, wherever these protests are taking place, has a single-point demand: Dharmendra Pradhan must accept accountability and resign or be removed from the Cabinet. There is no room for negotiation on this," Das said.
Government sources later told India Today TV that there was "no question" of Pradhan stepping down.
Even so, Ranka's comments suggested that the issue had come closer to being discussed than ever before.
"The government has told us that it will speak to its top leadership [on the issue of Pradhan's resignation] and get back to us tomorrow at 3.30 pm," Das said.
He also warned that if there was no progress by Saturday, the CJP would announce an even larger nationwide protest than the July 20 demonstration.
Speaking to India Today TV, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the agitation would continue until Pradhan resigned and hinted that the movement could escalate further if that did not happen.
"For now, our movement will continue as it is until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns. The government is also confident that Pradhan's resignation will be ensured as soon as possible. If he doesn't resign, millions of students and youth will start demanding PM Modi's resignation then," Dipke said.
The government has introduced several measures, including setting up fast-track courts, replacing the education secretary, and having Prime Minister Narendra Modi address young people through a portrait-format video. However, these steps have failed to calm the protests.
The protesters remain firm that only Pradhan's resignation will satisfy their demands. While the movement continues to press its central demand, the discussions between the ministers and CJP representatives indicate that the possibility of Pradhan's resignation may now be under active consideration.
