Govt proposes tougher paper leak penalties
NEW DELHI, JUL 24 (PTI): The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Friday told the government that its demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is non-negotiable and warned that if it is not accepted at the earliest, the protests would grow only bigger.
CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka held a two-hour meeting with Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Vithalbhai Patel House here to hammer out an amicable solution to the ongoing protests over NEET paper leak and other irregularities in the exam system.
During the day, the government approved a draft bill to ensure stricter punishments for paper leaks, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an unprecedented midnight video message, announced that a bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks will be introduced in Parliament.
“We told the Union ministers that our demand for the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan is non-negotiable,” Das told reporters after the meeting.
After Modi’s midnight message, CJP maintained the “strictest action” by the government would be the removal of Pradhan and that its protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until he resigns. Friday’s meeting took place hours after activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike late on Thursday night following government assurances on his key demands.
With the protests refusing to die down and the crowd continuing to swell at Jantar Mantar, the government has directed the airlifting of 10 more CRPF companies from Chhattisgarh to deploy in Delhi to bolster security measures.
Internet and metro services also remained disrupted for most of the day.
CJP had earlier declined the government’s invitation to hold talks at a minister’s residence or office, insisting that discussions should take place at a neutral venue. CJP later announced that it would launch a dedicated website to gather photographs and videos from protesters to identify police personnel allegedly involved in the July 20 crackdown, saying it would seek FIRs against the officers and move court.
Spokesperson Das alleged that police personnel assaulted students and molested women protesters during the police action.
Pradhan’s resignation not on cards: Sources
The Narendra Modi-led NDA government is firm that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not on the cards, top government sources have told NDTV even as Cockroach Janta Party, insists that the minister’s resignation is a must for it to call off protests. Sources say the government feels “resignation is the easiest decision to take”, adding that it “stands with the minister”.
“People have given us the mandate, and we will deliver,” the government source, who did not wish to be named, told NDTV.
“The government is preparing a list of problems in the National Testing Agency, and these issues will be resolved soon. We have busted many gangs involved in paper leaks. More actions are in the pipeline,” the source added.