The so-called Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday called off its 36-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar after the Union government accepted at least two of its three key demands, including the withdrawal of cases against student protesters. Earlier in the day, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation.
The announcement came after another round of talks between CJP representatives and Union ministers Jitendra Singh and J P Nadda at Vithalbhai Patel House.
Union Minister J P Nadda said the government would examine the charter of demands submitted by the CJP on education reforms and would continue discussions with the organisation’s representatives.
Nadda also said the government would provide “honourable compensation”, in accordance with existing rules, to the families of students who died by suicide following the cancellation of the NEET examination.
Following the meeting, CJP spokesperson Saurav Das announced that the organisation was ending its protest with immediate effect after the government accepted its demands. “As the government accepted all our demands, we call off our protests with immediate effect. We appeal everyone to go back home peacefully,” Das was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Violence erupts after resignation announcement
Earlier in the day, celebrations at Jantar Mantar after Pradhan’s resignation were followed by clashes between a section of protesters and police.
According to Delhi Police sources, a group of protesters allegedly pelted stones at security personnel shortly after the resignation was announced, PTI reported. Three police personnel, including a Special Commissioner of Police, were said to be injured. They were taken to hospital and are reported to be in stable condition.
Police said security personnel used tear gas and carried out a mild lathi-charge to disperse protestors and bring the situation under control.
According to Delhi Police, 15 FIRs have been registered in connection with the protests in New Delhi district, which encompasses most of the protest sites as well as sensitive installations such as Parliament, and the residences of the President and Prime Minister, as well as a number of MPs. More than 200 police personnel and over 65 protesters have sustained injuries since the agitation intensified. Security remains deployed across the area.
“We are currently monitoring the dispersal. People have already 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 issues. We are here to help them, and we appeal to everyone to maintain peace,” Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava told ANI.
Police also advised commuters to avoid parts of the affected areas because of traffic congestion.
Other student groups continue agitation
While CJP has ended its protest, student organisations including the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) said their protests would continue.
The organisations are demanding that the National Testing Agency (NTA) be scrapped, the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, be withdrawn and all cases against protesters be dropped.
Pradhan cites students’ future in resignation
Pradhan announced his resignation earlier on Saturday, saying he had taken responsibility for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak from the outset.
“Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student’s future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers, I have submitted my resignation to prime minister,” he said in a letter shared on X.
He said he respected the aspirations of the country’s youth and wanted students to focus on their education without further uncertainty.
Opposition welcomes resignation
Opposition leaders described Pradhan’s resignation as a victory for students.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the resignation was “a significant step towards rebuilding our education system” and congratulated students and young people who took part in the protests.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Prime Minister should apologise to students and sought action against those responsible for the police crackdown. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the youth had broken the atmosphere of fear, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal called it “a big win for democracy”.
Centre to table tougher anti-paper leak law
The developments came ahead of the introduction of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The Bill proposes fast-track courts in every state and Union Territory for paper leak cases, completion of investigations within two months, and disposal of trials within three months. It also proposes prison terms of five to 10 years and fines of up to ₹50 lakh for individuals involved in paper leaks, while organised offences could attract up to 10 years’ imprisonment and fines of up to ₹10 crore.
