Modi Offers Fast-Track Courts, CJP Sticks to Pradhan Resignation Demand 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday promised fast-track courts to prosecute those involved in examination paper leaks, but youth protesters and opposition parties rejected the move and continued to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, various media reports said.

The announcement was Modi’s first public response after days of protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party over alleged NEET paper leaks and wider failures in the examination system. He said strict and swift punishment would be ensured for those harming students’ futures, and that authorities had been asked to take steps to set up special courts for paper leak cases.

The CJP said the offer did not address political accountability.

Its leaders repeated that Pradhan’s resignation remained non-negotiable and said the protest would continue until the minister quit. Opposition leaders also said fast-track courts would not be enough without accountability within the education ministry.

Parliament remained disrupted for the fourth straight day of the Monsoon Session. Opposition lawmakers demanded Pradhan’s resignation before any discussion on the NEET issue, while the government said it was ready for a debate but accused the opposition of attaching preconditions. Both houses saw repeated adjournments amid sloganeering.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to members to allow Question Hour and said he was prepared to consult the government on a discussion. Senior opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, met Birla to press for a debate. Home Minister Amit Shah also met Birla later in the day as the deadlock continued.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the government’s handling of the case, saying arrests had been made, a re-examination had been conducted on time and results had been declared without delay. She accused the Congress of exploiting the issue for political disruption. Opposition parties said the government was avoiding responsibility for repeated paper leaks and the police action against protesters.

Thousands of CJP supporters remained at Jantar Mantar through Thursday amid heavy police and paramilitary deployment. Reports said protesters carried placards, chanted slogans and continued the sit-in despite restrictions in central Delhi. The protest site has now become the centre of a wider confrontation between the government, students and opposition parties.

Security restrictions widened through Thursday. Delhi Metro shut 16 stations in central Delhi until further notice, citing security reasons.

The government also ordered telecom companies to disable mobile data services around central Delhi protest areas, reports said citing sources. The CJP alleged an internet shutdown near Jantar Mantar and questioned whether another police action was being prepared. Police and government officials did not immediately give a detailed public explanation beyond security concerns.

Connaught Place shops, offices and restaurants were asked to close by 6.30 p.m. after the New Delhi Traders Association issued an advisory citing a critical situation in the area. Reports said the advisory followed telephonic advice from New Delhi Municipal Council officials and asked commercial establishments to comply as a precaution.

The CJP called for a nationwide peaceful protest on Friday under the slogan “Every District. One Day. One Demand.” It asked student unions and other organisations to coordinate local demonstrations in solidarity with those it said had faced police brutality. The group said organisers should read out student demands at gatherings and keep the protests peaceful.

Police action and the investigation into Monday’s Parliament march remained another major strand. Delhi Police have registered 10 FIRs over alleged violence, rioting, assault on public servants, obstruction of official duty, conspiracy and damage to public property. The cases were registered across police stations including Parliament Street, Connaught Place, Mandir Marg, Barakhamba and Kartavya Path, reports said.

Police are using CCTV and AI-enabled camera footage, along with social media videos and other digital evidence, to identify those accused of attacking police personnel or damaging public property. Police said those who did not take part in violence had nothing to fear, while protest organisers said the police were using the investigation to intimidate students.

Delhi Police said 118 police and security personnel and more than 60 protesters were injured in the clashes, and that 15-20 government vehicles were damaged. Reports citing police sources said authorities were also considering passport cancellation for those directly involved in violence. CJP leaders rejected the police account of the violence and said peaceful demonstrators had been attacked.

The Delhi Lieutenant Governor extended the Delhi Police commissioner’s preventive detention powers under the National Security Act until Oct 18. Police said the move was a routine administrative renewal issued every three months and not connected to the CJP agitation. The CJP criticised the timing and said action should instead be taken against those responsible for violence against protesters.

Delhi Police also dismissed viral social media claims that a woman protester had died during a lathi-charge, calling the posts false propaganda. Police warned that legal action would be taken against those spreading unverified or inflammatory content. Protest groups continued to call for independent verification of injuries and detentions.

The legal track continued after the Delhi High Court directed police and the Centre to preserve CCTV footage, videography and other records related to the July 20 police action. The court sought responses on petitions alleging excessive force and said the matter was not necessarily an isolated incident if several people were affected. The case was listed for further hearing in September.

Separately, the Delhi High Court agreed to hear a petition seeking an inquiry into the CJP protest violence on July 24. That petition alleged that the demonstration had been influenced by political parties and had led to obstruction of public movement, attacks on journalists, attempts to breach security near Parliament and injuries to police and public officials.

Protests spread beyond Delhi. Reports cited demonstrations or solidarity actions in cities including Mumbai, Chennai, Indore, Hyderabad, Patiala and Sikar, where student groups demanded Pradhan’s resignation and examination reforms. The CJP’s Friday call is expected to test whether the movement can sustain mobilisation outside the capital.

By Thursday evening, the standoff had narrowed to three immediate points: the government’s fast-track courts and offer of talks, the CJP’s insistence on Pradhan’s resignation and protection for protesters, and the security response in central Delhi. The government said it was ready for discussion and reform; protesters said accountability had to precede any settlement.

Compiled from various media reports.