Speaking to the media after meeting a group of protesting students, the Congress leader backed their demand for Pradhan's removal, saying merely changing his ministry would not address the concerns of students.

'Shifting him to another ministry is not acceptable'

Gandhi said: "Modi ji, your conspiracy to save your 'friend' by removing him from one ministry and seating him in another is not acceptable to the country's students and the people of India."

He further alleged: "Dharmendra Pradhan is responsible for the symbols of corruption and the destruction of the country's education system, as well as the deaths of numerous students."

Reiterating the Opposition's stand, Gandhi added: "We will not allow him to ruin anyone else's life now. Dharmendra Pradhan will have to leave the Cabinet—this is a non-negotiable demand."

'No point in talks without decision on Pradhan': CJP

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which is spearheading the protest from Delhi's Jantar Mantar, has reiterated its demand for Pradhan's resignation ahead of a fresh round of talks with the Centre on Saturday, according to media reports.

Ahead of the meeting, the CJP said the government must clarify whether it is prepared to remove Pradhan from his post, indicating that the minister's resignation remains a non-negotiable demand.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said, "In yesterday's meeting, we received a positive response regarding compensation and legal matters. An in-principle agreement was reached.

"We hope that today we will also receive the written agreement, but the main demand—regarding Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation—has not yet seen any concrete decision."

He added, "If Pradhan does not resign, let us know; then there is no point in holding meetings like this. We will work on our future strategy."

Protest gathers momentum across the country

Thousands of protesters remain camped at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the epicentre of the nationwide NEET agitation, demanding Pradhan's resignation as demonstrations continue to spread to several major cities.

The Centre, which had earlier refrained from directly engaging with the protesters, has now initiated dialogue with CJP representatives in an effort to break the deadlock and reach a resolution.