Did CJP's 72-hour ultimatum force Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation?
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on Saturday came after intense negotiations between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with the student outfit
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on Saturday came after intense negotiations between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with the student outfit reportedly issuing a 72-hour ultimatum demanding his removal and threatening to revive its march to Parliament if the demand was not met. According to sources, the ultimatum was delivered during the second round of talks on Friday between CJP leaders and Union ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh. During the meeting, the CJP maintained that Pradhan's resignation was its sole non-negotiable demand. Read Full Story The student organisation reportedly told the ministers that if Pradhan did not step down within 72 hours, protesters would once again march towards Parliament and publicly announce the escalation of their agitation.
In response, Nadda and Jitendra Singh assured the CJP delegation that they would discuss the demand with the government. Sources said the two ministers subsequently briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the outcome of the talks. GOVT INITIATED BUREAUCRATIC MEASURES Even as discussions continued, the government initiated steps to overhaul the Testing Agency (NTA). Forty-seven NTA officials were relieved of their duties, while the process of recruiting personnel as part of the agency's restructuring was also set in motion. However, despite these measures, the CJP remained firm that reforms alone would not suffice and insisted that Pradhan's resignation was essential for accountability.
Sources said Nadda and Jitendra Singh met Amit Shah once again on Saturday before a decision was taken. Shortly afterwards, Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 3RD ROUND OF TALKS TAKES PLACE Following the resignation, the two Union ministers held another round of talks with CJP representatives to finalise the remaining issues. The Centre and the CJP later addressed a joint press conference, where the student outfit announced the withdrawal of its agitation after securing what it described as its principal demand. CJP leaders appealed to protesters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and supporters across the country to return home peacefully.
Pradhan's resignation came after weeks of nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities and the NEET-UG controversy, marking one of the rare instances of a senior Union minister stepping down amid sustained public mobilisation. The sequence of events has raised questions over whether the CJP's 72-hour ultimatum ultimately accelerated the government's decision to seek the minister's resignation. Ends
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