‘IT’S A VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY. direct democracy… straight from the streets. It’s a victory of peace, patience & persévérance’ Wangchuk wrote. Sonam Wangchuk Dharmendra Pradhan resignation: ‘Straight from the streets’, Climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk responded within moments of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister on Saturday (25 July), describing the outcome on social media platform X as a triumph for ordinary citizens rather than for any political negotiation. Sonam Wangchuk attributed the result to the sustained discipline shown by protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and across India, over the preceding weeks. “IT’S A VICTORY OF DEMOCRACY. direct democracy… straight from the streets.
It’s a victory of peace, patience & persévérance,” Wangchuk wrote. Quick answers to key questions
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid widespread protests related to the NEET paper leak, with demands for accountability and compensation for affected families. Wangchuk viewed the resignation as a triumph for ordinary citizens, highlighting the power of peaceful protest and perseverance demonstrated by demonstrators. The CJP organized a 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar, urging for Pradhan’s resignation and accountability, which was fueled by police actions against demonstrators and other agitation activities.
The CJP continues to demand compensation for families of students affected by the NEET paper leak and accountability for officials involved in the scandal, alongside action against abusive police conduct. Yes, many activists believe it is crucial to maintain pressure for remaining demands related to compensation and systemic reforms, emphasizing the importance of sustained advocacy in a democratic society. “Congratulations CJP, Gen Z of the nation and thank you all citizens for shedding fear and the fear of fear and rising up from every corner of the nation. FROM ACCOUNTABILITY, NOW TO REFORMS” , Sonam Wangchuk wrote on X. CJP Declares “First Victory” as Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns Loud cheers broke out at the Cockroach Janata Party’s protest site at Jantar Mantar the moment founder Abhijeet Dipke announced Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister to the assembled crowd, calling it the movement’s first breakthrough after more than a month of agitation. Thirty-Six Days of Protest Culminate in Pradhan’s Exit The CJP had launched its demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 20 June, demanding Pradhan’s resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak, compensation of one crore rupees for the families of students said to have died by suicide in connection with the controversy, and criminal proceedings against those responsible for the leak. The agitation gathered fresh momentum after police action against protesters on 20 July, which broadened the group’s demands to include disciplinary measures against police personnel accused of using force on demonstrators.
Environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk later joined the sit-in and undertook a 26-day hunger strike before being forcibly removed to hospital, while several student activists also observed extended fasts in solidarity with the cause. Dipke Tells Crowd: “If You Don’t Get Scared, You Can Win” Addressing the gathering after news of the resignation broke, Abhijeet Dipke framed the outcome as vindication of sustained, fearless protest. “Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned and this is the proof that if you don’t get scared, you can win,” he said. He went on to urge demonstrators to keep speaking out. “You should not be scared to speak in a democracy. Only if you raise your voice, they will stay in line because they are sitting in power because of us,” the CJP founder told the crowd.
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Movement to Persist Until Remaining Demands Are Met Despite the celebratory mood, Dipke was emphatic that the agitation was far from over. “We have two more demands. We will not go like that.
We are cockroaches. Once it enters, it does not leave. Only one resignation has happened for now. Don’t mess with the cockroach,” he said. Abhijeet Dipke reiterated that two demands remained outstanding: compensation for the bereaved families and accountability for those implicated in the alleged paper leak, alongside action against police accused of using excessive force. “The families of students who committed suicide should be given compensation.
Action should be taken against police personnel who committed atrocities,” Dipke said. Celebrations at Jantar Mantar, but Caution Over What Comes Next Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation triggered scenes of jubilation among students and CJP members gathered at Jantar Mantar, who hailed it as the first significant success of their 36-day campaign even as they pledged to remain in place until their outstanding demands were addressed. The party later posted a brief but pointed message on X: “We have won.”
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About the Author Sayantani Biswas
Sayantani Biswas is an assistant editor at Livemint with seven years of experience covering geopolitics, foreign policy, international relations and global power dynamics. She reports on Indian and international politics, including elections worldwide, and specialises in historically grounded analysis of contemporary conflicts and state decisions.
She joined Mint in 2021, after covering politics at publications including The Telegraph. She holds an MPhil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University (2019), with a specialisation in postcolonial Latin American literature.
Her research examined economic nationalism through Eduardo Galeano’s Open Veins of Latin America. She also writes on political language, cultural memory and the long shadows of conflict. Biswas grew up in Durgapur, an industrial town in West Bengal shaped by migration, which drew families from across India to the Durgapur Steel Plant. As the only child in a joint family, she spent years listening—almost obsessively—to her grandparents’ testimonies of struggle, fear and loss as they fled Bangladesh during the Partition of 1947. This formative exposure to lived historical memory later converged with her training in Comparative Literature, equipping her to analyse socio-economic structures and their reverberations. Outside the newsroom, she gravitates towards cultural history and critical theory, returning often to texts such as Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
As a journalist, she is committed to accuracy, intellectual rigour and fairness, and believes political reporting demands not only clarity and speed, but historical depth, contextual precision, and a disciplined resistance to spectacle. Stay updated with the latest Trending, India, World and US news. Follow CJP Protest LIVE updates as Sonam Wangchuk ends his 26-day hunger strike following government assurances, while the Jantar Mantar protest continues. Get the latest updates on talks between the CJP delegation and the Centre, the demand for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, possible arrests, Delhi security measures and developments in Parliament. Home News IndiaSonam Wangchuk hails Dharmendra Pradhan’s exit as ‘Victory of Democracy,’ says focus now shifts to reforms
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