CJP ends protest after PR
The so-called Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on Saturday called off its 36-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after the Central government accepted at least two of their three key demands, including withdrawal of cases against student protesters. Earlier in the day, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation.
The announcement was made after another round of talks between CJP representatives and Union ministers Jitendra Singh and JP Nadda at Vithalbhai Patel House.
Union Minister JP Nadda said the government will examine the charter of demands presented by the CJP on education reforms and will continue discussions with representatives of the organization.
“We will study the charter of demands presented by you for education reforms and will also discuss with your delegation,” he said during a joint press conference with CJP representatives.
Nadda also said the government will provide “respectable compensation” as per existing rules to the families of students who died by suicide after the cancellation of the NEET exam.
After the meeting, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das announced that the organization was ending its protest with immediate effect after the government accepted their demands. “Since the government has accepted all our demands, we call off our protest with immediate effect. We appeal to everyone to go back home peacefully,” news agency PTI quoted Das as saying.
Violence broke out after the announcement of resignation
Earlier in the day, Pradhan’s resignation was celebrated at Jantar Mantar, leading to clashes between a section of protesters and the police.
According to Delhi Police sources, a group of protesters allegedly pelted stones at security personnel soon after the resignation announcement, PTI reported. Three policemen, including a Special Police Commissioner, are said to be injured. He was taken to the hospital and his condition is said to be stable.
Police said security personnel used tear gas and mild lathicharge to disperse the protesters and bring the situation under control.
According to Delhi Police, 15 FIRs have been registered in connection with the protests in New Delhi district, covering most of the protest sites as well as sensitive establishments like Parliament, the residences of the President and the Prime Minister as well as several MPs. More than 200 policemen and 65 protesters have been injured since the agitation intensified. Security is deployed in the entire area.
Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava told ANI, “We are currently monitoring the dispersal. People have started dispersing. We request the public to remain calm and ensure that they leave peacefully. We also urge everyone not to create any law and order problems. We are here to help them, and we appeal to everyone to maintain peace.”
Police also advised travelers to avoid parts of the affected areas due to traffic congestion. Following the developments, Delhi Metro announced that the entry gates of all metro stations have been reopened.
Movement of other student groups continues
While the CJP has ended its protest, student organizations including the Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Association (AISA) and National Students Union of India (NSUI) said that their protest will continue.
The organizations are demanding that the National Testing Agency (NTA) be abolished, the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 be withdrawn and all cases against the protesters be withdrawn.
Pradhan has cited the future of the students in his resignation.
Announcing his resignation on Saturday, Pradhan said that he had taken responsibility for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak from the beginning.
In a letter shared on Twitter, he said, “Keeping in mind the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, with a view to prevent anti-national forces from taking advantage of it, to maintain national unity, to ensure that the future of even a single Indian student does not get entangled in legal complexities, and to allow our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers, I have submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister.”
He said that he respects the aspirations of the youth of the country and wants students to focus on their education without any uncertainty.
Opposition welcomed the resignation
Opposition leaders described Pradhan’s resignation as a victory for the students.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the resignation was “an important step towards rebuilding our education system” and congratulated the students and youth who participated in the protests.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Prime Minister should apologize to the students and demanded action against those responsible for the police action. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the youth had broken the atmosphere of fear, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal called it “a major victory for democracy”.
Center will bring strict anti-paper leak law
The development occurred before the introduction of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The Bill proposes to set up fast-track courts in every state and union territory for paper leak cases, complete investigation within two months and dispose of cases within three months. It also proposes five to 10 years’ jail and a fine of up to ₹50 lakh for individuals involved in the paper leak, while organized crimes could face up to 10 years’ jail and a fine of up to ₹10 crore.
