“Government Remains 100% Committed to Discussing NEET”: Dharmendra Pradhan Amid Student Protest
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, said, “The government will have to come to Jantar Mantar itself to talk. We won’t go now because they called us once and wasted our time.”
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Jantar Mantar Protest: The student protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began on June 20, continues to grow after Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi held a sit-in protest on July 21 outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, demanding the resignation of both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. The Congress leaders were later removed by the Delhi Police. A few hours later, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan responded to the sit-in protest, saying that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Indian National Congress (INC) continue to “shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the Monsoon Session of Parliament.”
The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the CJP, a youth-led movement, shared a video today showing students continuing their protest outside Jantar Mantar, Delhi, on the night of July 21, 2026. On July 20, the protesters organised a “Sansad Chalo” march, which was met with a lathi-charge and tear gas by the police amid clashes with students.
Addressing the student protests over the alleged NEET UG paper leak, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “Our Government remains 100% committed to discussing NEET and addressing every genuine concern of our youth on the floor of the House.”
“The Congress Chose Political Spectacle Over Democratic Debate”: Education Minister
The Education Minister also said that the government had shown its readiness for a discussion, yet the Congress chose to stage a sit-in protest instead.
“Even after the Government conveyed its readiness for a comprehensive discussion, the Congress chose political spectacle over democratic debate,” Dharmendra Pradhan wrote on X, adding, “For Rahul Gandhi, this is not about students. This is about manufacturing confrontation after every genuine avenue for discussion has been opened.”
“We owe our students more than outrage. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. That is exactly what our government remains committed to delivering,” Dharmendra Pradhan concluded.
Rahul Gandhi On Why He Held A Sit-In Protest
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, about an hour after Pradhan’s remarks, posted on X that he had met the Lok Sabha Speaker and requested that a debate be allowed on “what happened to students.” Rahul said the Speaker had told him the previous day that he needed the government’s permission. “But it became very clear to us in the hours that followed that the government had no interest in holding a debate,” Rahul said.
“So, we took a decision that we will stage a protest in front of the Prime Minister’s house and bring the students’ issues to national attention,” Rahul added.
भारत के छात्रों और प्रधानमंत्री को मेरा सीधा संदेश... pic.twitter.com/pgZZHLLz8h
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 21, 2026
CJP Founder On Talking With Government
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the CJP, said, “The government will have to come to Jantar Mantar itself to talk. We won’t go now because they called us once and wasted our time.”
CJP National Spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka recently told the media, “We have placed a very clear demand, and Abhijeet Dipke has spoken about it. We will not let any FIR, including any future FIR, be lodged against any protester. The protest will not end until that demand is met.”
Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV's Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department's social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy.
Sahil holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
