Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday welcomed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, describing it as "a victory for democracy" and crediting the outcome to weeks of sustained protests led by students and volunteers.
Addressing supporters from the protest stage at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, Dipke said the resignation challenged the belief that ministers in the current government do not step down.
"Kya kehte the.. Is sarkaar me istife nahi hote. Jhukti hai duniya, jhukaane vaala chahiye," he said before announcing to the crowd, "We have done it. Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned."
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Abhijeet Dipke emphasized that Pradhan's resignation was a victory for democracy because it demonstrated that government ministers could be held accountable following sustained protests led by students and activists.
After welcoming Pradhan's resignation, CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke highlighted two unresolved demands: compensation of one crore rupees for the families of students who committed suicide and accountability for police actions during the protests.
Dipke urged supporters not to turn the resignation into a personality-driven victory, stressing that the focus should remain on ongoing systemic reforms and issues related to examination transparency.
The protests were triggered by alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, with the Cockroach Janata Party leading a widespread movement demanding Pradhan's accountability.
Pradhan announced that future NEET examinations would be conducted in a Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode to enhance transparency and prevent further irregularities.
The resignation follows weeks of demonstrations over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, with CJP leading protests alongside activist Sonam Wangchuk and student groups.
While welcoming the minister's resignation, Dipke said the movement would continue and outlined two key demands that, according to him, remain unresolved.
"There's no need to be afraid. This is democracy. He has resigned, but we have two more demands. We won't go like this. Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned. But the families of the children who committed suicide should receive compensation of one crore rupees."
He continued, “They should get it. One crore rupees compensation to all those families. And second, these police goons who acted on the 20th. Action must be taken against the police officers for that. Remember, do not mess with cockroaches.”
Later, while speaking to the media, Dipke urged supporters not to turn the political development into a personality-driven victory.
He cautioned against centring the movement around any one individual, saying the focus should remain on students and the larger issues surrounding examination transparency.
"I want to say something very important. Don't make me a hero because Dharmendra Pradhan resigned today. Don't make this mistake. Don't make me a hero because of Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. The country has been ruined because of making one person a hero," Dipke said.
He stressed that the movement should continue to focus on systemic reforms, transparency in examinations and the broader concerns raised by students across the country.
Dipke also thanked the students and volunteers who had remained at the protest site for over a month, describing Pradhan's resignation as only the beginning of the campaign.
"This is the first wicket. We won't stop here. This is just the beginning. I salute all students, all the volunteers who have been sitting here for the last 36 days," he said.
Calling the development a milestone for the movement, he added, "It's a victory for the Constitution of India. It's a victory for the people of India."
Soon after the resignation announcement, Dipke, CJP leaders and protesters celebrated at Jantar Mantar. Similar celebrations were also reported among youth protesters in Bengaluru and Chennai.
Earlier on Saturday, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In his resignation letter shared on X, Pradhan said he had taken the decision to ensure that the situation arising from protests over alleged examination irregularities was not exploited by "anti-national forces."
"The situation that has emerged at Jantar Mantar and elsewhere in the country should not be exploited by anti-national forces. The unity of the country must remain intact. The future of every student in India should not get entangled in legal complications," he wrote.
Pradhan said he had decided to step down in the larger interest of students and the nation.
His resignation came after a month-long agitation at Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janata Party and activist Sonam Wangchuk, who observed a 26-day hunger strike. The protests gathered momentum on July 20 with CJP's 'Chalo Sansad' march, which was met with police action.
