CHENNAI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, days after mounting nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak intensified, with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) making his removal its central demand and refusing to call off its agitation without his exit.
In a letter posted on X in Hindi, he said it is not a matter of "individual prestige" for him.
Pradhan said he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days and sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I took responsibility of NEET paper leak from day one,” he said.
He also said that anti national forces should not be allowed to take advantage of situation at Jantar Mantar and across country.
Pradhan's resignation comes after weeks of demonstrations led by students and the CJP at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the scrapping of the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), accountability for the alleged examination irregularities, reforms to the education system, and action against police excesses against protesters.
The development follows activist Sonam Wangchuk ending his indefinite hunger strike shortly after midnight on Thursday after the Centre gave a written assurance that it was inclined not to register cases against peaceful protesters. The government also said Parliament would hold a detailed discussion on examination reforms and paper leaks, and that compensation for the families of students who died by suicide following the alleged NEET paper leak was under active consideration.
Wangchuk had been on an indefinite fast since June 28 after joining the CJP-led agitation.
On Friday, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka held a two-hour meeting with Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, but maintained that the protests would only intensify if Pradhan did not step down.
The meeting came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an unprecedented midnight video message, announced that the government would introduce a bill in Parliament providing for stricter punishment for paper leaks. The Union Cabinet later approved the draft legislation.
(With inputs from PTI)