NEW DELHI: Jubilant scenes unfolded at Jantar Mantar on Saturday as chants of “Hum Jeet Gaye” (We have won) echoed through the protest site after Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following weeks of demonstrations over alleged examination paper leaks.As celebrations continued, authorities supervised the peaceful winding down of the protest, urging demonstrators to disperse calmly.Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) reopened all entry and exit gates at nearby metro stations to facilitate the movement of protesters and commuters. Celebratory chants and slogans echoed through the historic protest site, marking a dramatic climax to weeks of mounting public outrage and agitations over examination paper leaks and systemic flaws in national competitive tests.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
For Rajesh Thapa, the celebrations were bittersweet. The father of late NEET-UG aspirant Riya Thapa, who died after battling the mental distress linked to uncertainty over the examination, said he stood with the protesting students in memory of his daughter.Rajesh Thapa told PTI that the movement represented a fight for justice and accountability, which he hoped would spare others from similar suffering.“Children are fighting for their rights, if my daughter were here, she might have joined them too. I thought to myself, since she isn’t here, I should go in her place, so that nothing like this ever happens to anyone else’s child,” Thapa said, his voice heavy with emotion.Commenting on the minister’s stepping down and withdrawal of the protest, he said “It is a victory for the children, a victory for everyone. If accountability had been taken right when the paper leak first surfaced, the children’s trust in the system would have stayed intact. Maybe then, those who took such extreme steps later would have been saved.”Organisations leading the agitations viewed the resignation as a vital first step, though they maintained that structural reforms remain crucial.“Our demands were not radical but basic, and the government has now accepted them,” said Saurav Das of the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP).Student groups that took part in the protest echoed a similar sentiment, asserting that the broader campaign for accountability and reforms in the education system would continue.Bheem Kumar, a member of the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) who participated in the demonstration, said the resignation marked only the beginning and stressed that the movement was far from over.“Till now, only one major demand has been accepted. The fight for a transparent and better education system will continue,” Kumar noted, emphasizing that the focus must now shift toward overhaul and policy guarantees.As news of the resignation spread, authorities moved quickly to ensure an orderly wind-down of the demonstration. Special CP, Law and Order Devesh Chandra Srivastava said senior officers were overseeing the site to ensure students disperse without incident.“We are keeping a close watch on the dispersal. We request everyone to stay calm and return home peacefully,” Srivastava said, adding that the force was hopeful people would understand, cooperate, and maintain peace.Pradhan’s resignation came a day after the Centre announced measures to address concerns over examination irregularities. These measures included a proposed law prescribing stringent punishment for paper leak involvement and establishing fast-track courts for speedy trials.(With agency inputs)
