CJP Protests: When Dharmendra Pradhan denied paper leak, but later took ‘moral responsibility’ for it
The Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in the 2026 NEET examination gathered momentum over the past month, with even Bollywood celebrities now
The Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) protest over alleged irregularities in the 2026 NEET examination gathered momentum over the past month, with even Bollywood celebrities now lending support to the protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed strict action against those involved in paper leaks. But the CJP, its supporters and the Opposition have just one demand: Education minister "Dharmendra Pradhan Must Resign." This is not the first time Pradhan has faced heat over paper leaks. Allegations and cases have surfaced over the years, including during the NEET‑UG 2024 examination, when he was accused of issuing contradictory statements about irregularities. What Dharmendra Pradhan said about NEET paper leak in 2024 From ‘no paper leak' to 'taking moral responsibility’ - in just seven days, Dharmendra Pradhan issued contradicting statements on the NEET paper leak incident that rocked the country in 2024. Here's a timeline According to an AltNews analysis, from the declaration of the NEET-UG results on 4 June 2024, until 12 June 2024, Pradhan made no statement addressing or acknowledging the allegations of discrepancies. He broke his silence on the matter on 13 June. 13 June 2024: In response to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Pradhan said in a post on X, "No concrete evidence of any rigging, corruption, or paper leak in the NEET exam has come to light as yet." He said the government has passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act. He later reiterated the "no paper leak" claim regarding the NEET-UG paper leak.
He said, “Twenty four lakh students have successfully taken the NEET examination. There is no paper leak, no proof has been found yet...” 16 June: Changing his stance, Pradhan said he was informed of some “irregularities” in two centres. He did not share many details. He had said, "Some irregularities have come to light in two places...Even if the NTA's top officials are found guilty, they will not be spared." He acknowledged that a lot of improvement is required in the NTA. "The government is concerned about this, no culprit will be spared, they will get the harshest punishment," he had said. 20 June: Pradhan addressed a press conference, saying the government won't imperil the future of thousands of aspirants because of a few "isolated incidents". He said, "I assure you that the error is limited to a specific region." He said at the time, "We have received inputs from the Bihar government about NEET examination. Patna Police is investigating the matter and they will soon send a detailed report to the Government of India. Preliminary information indicates that errors were limited to a specific region." As the government refused to cancel the examination, Pradhan said, “It is unfair to hold hostage the career of those candidates who have rightfully cleared the exam because of some isolated incidents of malpractice.” 21 June: In a first admission of irregularity in the conduct of the NEET-UG exam 2024, Pradhan acknowledged there had been “some errors limited to specific regions”, referring to Bihar’s investigation into allegations of paper leak.
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