Supporters of India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrate after India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following days of protests demanding his resignation over National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination paper leaks, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, India, July 25, 2026.
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Weeks of protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar made way for an eruption of celebrations on Saturday after the announcement of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. As the news was announced from the stage, hundreds of students and supporters broke into cheers, danced to patriotic songs, waved the Tricolour and declared it the “first victory” of their movement against alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.Slogans such as “Haar gaye, haar gaye, tanashah haar gaye” (The dictator has been defeated), “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad” echoed through the protest site as students embraced one another and celebrated what they described as a landmark moment in their 36-day agitation.Cockroaches of consequenceCockroach Janta Party (CJP) founding president Abhijeet Dipke, addressing the gathering, cheekily congratulated the Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant and referred to his earlier “cockroach” remark aimed at protesting youth as what set the ball rolling. “Had you not called us cockroaches, I wouldn’t have come to India, this crowd wouldn’t have gathered here, and Dharmendra Pradhan would not have resigned,” Dipke said.Even as protesters celebrated the minister’s resignation, they made it clear that the agitation was far from over. Displaying an update from the stage, the CJP said that only one of its three principal demands—Pradhan’s resignation—had been fulfilled. Its demands for ₹1 crore compensation to the families of students who allegedly died by suicide and assurance that no action would be taken against student protesters remained pending.CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the sit-in would continue until the government accepted all three demands in writing.“If you accept our three demands in writing, we will go home,” Ranka said, adding that the organisation had sought permission to hold a nationwide candle march at 6 pm on Friday.Speaking to businessline, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the protesters would seek written assurances before calling off the agitation.Big win“It’s a big win not just for the youth of the country but also for the Constitution and every parent who sent their child here. They tried to divide us on class lines and many other lines, but all of them have been defeated by the youth of the country. There is no power that will not bend to the will of the youth. We are going for talks with the government and will take those assurances in writing. We will only leave once those assurances are implemented,” Das said.Addressing supporters, Dipke urged them not to personalise the movement.“Don’t make me a hero because Dharmendra Pradhan resigned today. Don’t make this mistake. The country has been ruined because of making one person a hero,” he said.Calling the resignation only the beginning of the campaign, Dipke said, “This is the first wicket. We won’t stop here. This is just the beginning. I salute all students and volunteers who have been sitting here for the last 36 days.”Power of the publicDescribing the resignation as “a victory for the Constitution of India” and “a victory for the people of India”, he said the protest had shown that sustained public pressure could force accountability.“Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. This resignation is proof that if people are not afraid, if people do not bow down to this government, then we can take the resignation of anyone,” he said.He added that the movement would continue to focus on education reforms rather than communal politics.“The youth of this country will not be deceived by Hindu-Muslim politics. They will talk about education and reform,” he said.Minor clashes were reported between protesters and security personnel near Sansad Marg outside the Jantar Mantar protest venue around 2 pm, hours before the resignation announcement.Through loudspeakers, Delhi Police urged protesters to disperse, saying: “All metro gates have been opened and all your demands have been accepted by the government. Please proceed to your homes.”Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) restored normal access at nearby stations, announcing that entry gates at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat Metro stations had been reopened.Published on July 25, 2026
