Paper Leak Protesters Stand Firm: Minister Must Go, Group Says Ahead of Government Meeting
New Delhi: As the government and a protesting group prepare to meet over the ongoing paper leak protests, the group’s spokesperson said their core demands remain unchanged, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Speaking ahead of the meeting scheduled at the Constitutional Club of India, the group’s spokesperson Saurav Das said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent promise of a new law against paper leaks has not altered their stance. “Our demands remain the same, and the protest will continue until those demands are met,” Das said.
The group has demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, compensation for families of students who died by suicide after exams were cancelled due to paper leaks, and withdrawal of all cases registered against peaceful protesters.
Das expressed hope that the government would come with “an open mind” and listen to the concerns of the people. The meeting is set for 12:30 pm at a neutral location, with Union Minister JP Nadda representing the government.
The meeting follows two significant developments on Wednesday night: Prime Minister Modi, in a video address, promised a new law to tackle paper leaks, and activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
Wangchuk said the government assured him that the paper leak issue would be discussed, compensation would be given to families of suicide victims, and no cases would be registered against peaceful protesters. The group’s founder, Dipke, expressed relief that Wangchuk had ended his strike but reiterated, “Our peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.”
Responding to the Prime Minister’s promise, Das told the media, “The Cabinet can do as it pleases. It has nothing to do with us. Our demands remain the same, and the protest will continue until those demands are met.”
Das also noted that the group suggested an alternative venue for talks because government ministers expressed security concerns about visiting the protest site at Jantar Mantar. “We offered them alternative venues that are non-politically affiliated institutions,” he said.
