Why Dharmendra Pradhan Is Not Resigning? Here's What Govt Thinks As NEET Protests Intensify

The government has held several high-level meetings after Health Minister JP Nadda's discussions with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) representatives and remains open to further talks.

While rejecting demands to remove Pradhan, the Centre is willing to consider compensation for families of those who allegedly died by suicide after the controversy.

Source : PIB

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Government firmly supports Minister Pradhan amidst NEET paper leak demands.
• High-level talks ongoing with protesters regarding their varied demands.
• Protesters seek minister's removal; government considers family compensation.
• Government expresses readiness for parliamentary debate on the NEET issue.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is expected to continue in the Union Cabinet despite mounting demands for his resignation over the NEET paper leak controversy, with the government maintaining that he cannot be held personally responsible for the examination breach.

A senior government functionary said the Centre's top leadership believes there is no basis for seeking Pradhan's resignation, arguing that the minister had no direct involvement in the alleged leak of the examination papers. The official also pointed to the successful conduct of the re-examination as evidence of the government's response to the crisis, reported PTI. 

At the same time, the government has indicated that it remains willing to engage with protesters led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). According to the functionary, the Centre is open to meaningful discussions and has suggested that neither side should remain inflexible over the venue for future meetings.

Government Stands Firm on Minister's Position

The issue has sparked a series of high-level consultations within the government. Union Health Minister JP Nadda met two CJP representatives, including spokesperson Saurav Das, on Monday to hear their demands and assured them that the matter would be discussed with senior government leaders.

Following that meeting, several rounds of internal discussions have taken place involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Nadda, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Pradhan and other senior leaders. The government has since conveyed its willingness to hold another round of talks with the CJP over the outfit's demands.

However, Das told reporters on Wednesday that the CJP would meet Nadda again only if the government demonstrates a genuine intention to address its demands. He also insisted that any meeting should take place at a "neutral venue" near Jantar Mantar.

Compensation Demand May Be Considered

The CJP has demanded the immediate removal of Pradhan from the Union Cabinet and sought Rs 1 crore in compensation for the families of those who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

Rejecting the demand for the minister's resignation, the senior government functionary said there was "no question" of Pradhan stepping down, reiterating that he could not be blamed for the paper leak because he was not personally involved in the incident.

The official, however, said the government is prepared to consider favourably the demand for compensation for the families affected by the controversy, indicating that the issue remains under consideration.

Centre Ready for Parliament Debate

The government has also expressed readiness for a comprehensive discussion on the NEET paper leak in Parliament. It believes it can present a detailed account of the steps taken after the examination breach and explain how the re-examination was conducted successfully.

According to the senior functionary, the Centre is prepared for an extended debate if required. "If needed, we are ready for discussions even for two days or three days — whatever time is required," the official said.

At the same time, the functionary maintained that while the government is open to debate and dialogue, it would not accept what it described as the opposition's "unrealistic demands."