‘Dictatorship defeated!’: Chants, tricolour and dance at Jantar Mantar as Dharmendra Pradhan tenders resignation

Published 25 July 2026 · local

“Haar gaye, haar gaye, Tanashah haar gaye [dictator has been defeated]”, the crowd gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site chanted, as news of Union

“Haar gaye, haar gaye, Tanashah haar gaye [dictator has been defeated]”, the crowd gathered at the Jantar Mantar protest site chanted, as news of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation reached the venue on Saturday (July 25, 2026). Jantar Mantar protest updates on July 25, 2026 Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday (July 25, 2026) over the NEET paper leak row, saying it is not a matter of “individual prestige” for him. Pradhan said he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days and sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, joined the crowd from the dais. Waving the tricolour, he sang A.R. Rahman’s rendition of Vande Mataram, as elsewhere the crowd danced to Chak De India.

Amid news of the Union Education Minister's resignation, CJP founder #AbhijeetDipke reacts with jubilation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, saying, "We have done it." 📹 X/Cockroachisback pic.twitter.com/95s9roqiVw — The Hindu (@the_hindu) July 25, 2026 Protesters, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), were seen hugging each other and dancing on stage. Many held up portraits and posters of Dr B R Ambedkar as the gathering celebrated the minister's resignation, which they described as a victory for their agitation. Addressing the gathering, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said the resignation demonstrated the strength of democratic protest. "They used to say that this government does not see resignations. We say the world bends if there is someone who can make it bend," he told the crowd. Dipke, however, said the agitation would continue despite Pradhan's resignation.

He demanded ₹1 crore compensation for the families of students who died by suicide in connection with the examination controversy and sought action against police personnel over their conduct during the protests on July 20. Referring to remarks made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Dipke said, "If you had not called us ‘cockroaches’, I would not have returned to India. If you had not called us 'cockroaches', the youth of the country would not have come out on the streets. If you had not called us ‘cockroaches’, Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation would not have happened." The remarks drew loud cheers from the gathering as celebrations continued under heightened security arrangements at the protest site. Long queues are seen outside the protest site’s entrance as thousands of people continued to head to Jantar Mantar.