Soon, resignation calls might not be limited to Dharmendra Pradhan: CJP's Ranka
CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said rising anger over the NEET controversy could soon move beyond demands for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. He said protesters were seeking accountability, compensation and withdrawal of cases as the agitation spreads across the country.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today's Rajdeep Sardesai, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the anger over the NEET controversy was growing across the country. He likened the issue to a ticking time bomb, with the very real possibility that the discontent could extend beyond the demand for just Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
“This is a ticking thing. This is not something that can go on for weeks and months because there are protests happening all over the country,” Ranka said.
“The more you wait, the more the discontentment grows, more the anger grows. Now, increasingly, that discontentment, that anger is being directed at the prime minister,” he stated. "So this government also needs to understand that very soon this might not even be limited to Mr Pradhan."
Ranka said the protesters were also seeking compensation for families affected by the NEET controversy and the withdrawal of legal cases against protesters. He claimed there had been an in-principle agreement on the two demands during discussions with government representatives. However, the demand for Pradhan's resignation remained non-negotiable, he stressed.
Ranka said the government delegation had not ruled out the possibility of the Education minister quitting or being asked to step down, claiming that the issue would be taken up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on proactively acting against paper leaks, the CJP leader questioned why the government had taken nearly two months to respond to the controversy.
“The Prime Minister had to wait for 45 days since the first protest happened. Prime minister had to wait for almost two months in the NEET paper got leaked for him to get proactive,” Ranka said.
He said the protesters wanted accountability and structural reforms in the examination system, but argued that such reforms could not be discussed while the person heading the Education ministry, in his view, responsible for the current crisis.
Ranka also said the movement had expanded beyond the Cockroach Janta Party, claiming that protests were being held across the country and that growing public anger was increasingly being directed at the government.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today's Rajdeep Sardesai, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the anger over the NEET controversy was growing across the country. He likened the issue to a ticking time bomb, with the very real possibility that the discontent could extend beyond the demand for just Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
“This is a ticking thing. This is not something that can go on for weeks and months because there are protests happening all over the country,” Ranka said.
“The more you wait, the more the discontentment grows, more the anger grows. Now, increasingly, that discontentment, that anger is being directed at the prime minister,” he stated. "So this government also needs to understand that very soon this might not even be limited to Mr Pradhan."
Ranka said the protesters were also seeking compensation for families affected by the NEET controversy and the withdrawal of legal cases against protesters. He claimed there had been an in-principle agreement on the two demands during discussions with government representatives. However, the demand for Pradhan's resignation remained non-negotiable, he stressed.
Ranka said the government delegation had not ruled out the possibility of the Education minister quitting or being asked to step down, claiming that the issue would be taken up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on proactively acting against paper leaks, the CJP leader questioned why the government had taken nearly two months to respond to the controversy.
“The Prime Minister had to wait for 45 days since the first protest happened. Prime minister had to wait for almost two months in the NEET paper got leaked for him to get proactive,” Ranka said.
He said the protesters wanted accountability and structural reforms in the examination system, but argued that such reforms could not be discussed while the person heading the Education ministry, in his view, responsible for the current crisis.
Ranka also said the movement had expanded beyond the Cockroach Janta Party, claiming that protests were being held across the country and that growing public anger was increasingly being directed at the government.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today's Rajdeep Sardesai, Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the anger over the NEET controversy was growing across the country. He likened the issue to a ticking time bomb, with the very real possibility that the discontent could extend beyond the demand for just Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
“This is a ticking thing. This is not something that can go on for weeks and months because there are protests happening all over the country,” Ranka said.
“The more you wait, the more the discontentment grows, more the anger grows. Now, increasingly, that discontentment, that anger is being directed at the prime minister,” he stated. "So this government also needs to understand that very soon this might not even be limited to Mr Pradhan."
Ranka said the protesters were also seeking compensation for families affected by the NEET controversy and the withdrawal of legal cases against protesters. He claimed there had been an in-principle agreement on the two demands during discussions with government representatives. However, the demand for Pradhan's resignation remained non-negotiable, he stressed.
Ranka said the government delegation had not ruled out the possibility of the Education minister quitting or being asked to step down, claiming that the issue would be taken up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on proactively acting against paper leaks, the CJP leader questioned why the government had taken nearly two months to respond to the controversy.
“The Prime Minister had to wait for 45 days since the first protest happened. Prime minister had to wait for almost two months in the NEET paper got leaked for him to get proactive,” Ranka said.
He said the protesters wanted accountability and structural reforms in the examination system, but argued that such reforms could not be discussed while the person heading the Education ministry, in his view, responsible for the current crisis.
Ranka also said the movement had expanded beyond the Cockroach Janta Party, claiming that protests were being held across the country and that growing public anger was increasingly being directed at the government.
