New Delhi: The government had offered the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to change former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's portfolio instead of seeking his resignation, according to reports.
The Centre's delegation, comprising Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, had conveyed to CJP's Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, NDTV reported, citing sources. The Union Ministers said that removing a minister from office or changing their portfolio was entirely the Prime Minister’s prerogative.
Nadda and Singh met the CJP delegation at the former's residence on July 20 for the first time, amid a massive crackdown on protesters taking place on the streets of Delhi during the "Sansad Chalo" march called by the protesters.
However, the CJP rejected the proposal outright and made it clear that it would accept no alternative to Education Minister Pradhan’s resignation.
Pradhan's resignation
Pradhan resigned as Education Minister on Saturday afternoon, just hours before the third round of talks between the CJP and Union ministers. After that, the CJP called off its protest in a joint press conference with the negotiators from the government's side.
Pradhan on Monday received a warm welcome from NDA leaders in Parliament, in a visible show of support for the former Education Minister. On the other hand, Opposition MPs led by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a protest over the alleged use of excessive force against students during the demonstrations.
Anti-paper leak bill
Parliament is likely to take up a discussion today on a bill seeking to amend the anti-paper leak law. The bill was tabled in Parliament on Monday amid sloganeering by the Opposition, which demanded answers from the Centre over the use of police force against protesters in Delhi and across the country.
The Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposes more stringent punishment for examination fraud, increasing the maximum jail term from five years to 10 years and imposing a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh.
