Amid thousands of protesters taking to the streets across the country, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged exam irregularities and paper leaks, pressure on the government has intensified. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike over the NEET paper leak issue, ended his fast on Thursday night after 26 days.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister Jitendra Singh reached Medanta Hospital in Gurugram at around 12:30 am and assured Wangchuk that his demands would be addressed. The key question now remains: Will Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign or not?
Union Health Minister JP Nadda ended Wangchuk’s fast by offering him juice late Thursday evening. In a video posted on X, Wangchuk said he took the decision after extensive discussions and after receiving written assurances from the government. He said, “I needed assurance, and they wanted me to take that assurance in writing. It took two days, and that is why I had to continue my hunger strike for two more days. Finally, today they have given me written assurance.”
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Will Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign or not?
On the issue of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Wangchuk clarified that the government had not provided any assurance. He said, “Now you will surely ask what happened regarding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The first thing is that they could not give me any assurance about when it would happen.”
Wangchuk said he had two choices — either continue his hunger strike for weeks, which could have potentially put his life at risk, or end the protest after securing assurances on other key demands. He said that if Pradhan does not resign, it does not harm the children or the protesters; instead, it affects the government itself.
He added that Pradhan should have resigned, and if he had done so, the damage caused by the controversy could have been addressed earlier.
Wangchuk said his primary concerns were ensuring that students were not subjected to FIRs and that the families of those who lost their lives received compensation. He said, “We have achieved this, and I am happy about it. There will be a full debate on this issue and accountability in the biggest temple of Indian democracy — Parliament.”
What assurances did the government give Wangchuk?
- No action against students: No legal action, FIR, or any other proceedings will be initiated against students and young people who participated in the peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar or joined the ‘Chalo Sansad’ march on July 20.
- Compensation for families of the deceased: Proper compensation will be provided to the families of more than 20 children who died in connection with the paper leak incident.
- Full debate in Parliament: A detailed discussion and debate will be held in Parliament on the NEET paper leak, the examination system, and ensuring accountability in education and examinations to prevent such incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, 65 MPs had separately signed an appeal urging Wangchuk to end his hunger strike and assured him that the matter would be raised in Parliament. Wangchuk said he also decided to end his fast considering the possibility of violence in the country.