Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday reacted to the viral Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) movement, saying that everyone in a democracy has the right to express their views but questioning the forces backing the campaign.
, Pradhan said, "Everybody has the right to put forward his point of view. But the question is, who are the people behind such a movement?" He went on to allege that the satirical outfit was acting as a "B-team" of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Pradhan's statement comes against the backdrop of the CJP's ongoing demand that he step down from his position over the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) paper leak case.
It also comes days after the re-examination for the NEET-UG 2026 concluded across India and at 14 overseas centres, even as the exercise continued to be overshadowed by the ongoing paper leak controversy.
News18@CNNnews18·Follow#Exclusive | In a democracy, people have the right to raise their issues. Who are the CJP people, and who is backing them? CJP is the B-team of Rahul Gandhi: @dpradhanbjp, Education Minister
@payalmehta100 | #Neet2026#Neetreexamination#DharmendraPradhan#Education
6:04 PM · Jun 24, 2026ReplyCopy link
Pradhan on Wednesday acknowledged that there had been lapses in the conduct of NEET-UG 2026, which was subsequently cancelled amid allegations of a paper leak. He, however, maintained that the Centre responded swiftly, rectified the shortcomings and successfully conducted the re-examination.
Pradhan added that after the exam was scrapped, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear that students' futures must not be jeopardised.
“We accept that there were lapses on our side and we corrected them," Pradhan told
CNN-News18
“My message to NEET aspirants and their families is ‘be positive and believe in the country’s system’. PM Modi is doing a lot. We have brought the system on track. I accept we made mistakes in the past," he added.
The minister also acknowledged the contribution of states in conducting the re-test successfully.
Vowing tough measures against those involved in exam-related malpractices, Pradhan said the government would act firmly against the "paper mafia" and set up a fast-track court to expedite the judicial process.
“This government is very sensitive towards the youth. We will do everything to secure their future," he said.
According to the National Testing Agency (NTA), over 20 lakh candidates took the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination at 5,440 centres across India and 14 overseas locations. The test was conducted in 13 languages, including Hindi and English.
The agency said extensive security measures were put in place, including Aadhaar-based biometric and facial authentication, CCTV monitoring, signal jammers, as well as two-tier frisking carried out with assistance from state police forces.
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