Not security concerns, but erosion of political capital of the ruling party led to Pradhan’s resignation

Published 25 July 2026 · local

The primary reason behind Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday (July 25, 2026) was not security concerns, but the erosion of the ruling party's

The primary reason behind Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday (July 25, 2026) was not security concerns, but the erosion of the ruling party's political capital caused by the burgeoning, organic crowds at Jantar Mantar, government sources told The Hindu. The continuous sit-in by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which started on June 13, was called off on Saturday (July 25, 2026) after the government accepted its demands, including withdrawal of criminal cases against protesters. Taking cue from the July 20 march to Parliament, during which several unarmed protesters were beaten up by the police, the Union government had made elaborate security arrangements for the next few days to contain the crowd at Jantar Mantar, the protest site in the heart of Delhi. An analysis of the social media chatter, which was found to have unsavoury remarks, particularly against the Prime Minister, after videos of police excesses on students and young people surfaced, also played a role in government conceding to the CJP’s demands, the foremost being Mr. Pradhan’s resignation.

Diverse crowd “The police were underprepared on July 20 as the crowd, which reached the protest site following a call given by the CJP, was much beyond the initial estimate. However, there was little concern that the protests could lead to a Nepal- or Bangladesh-like situation, as the crowds were largely organic and socially diverse. Some unruly elements were mixed in the crowd, but the police had taken adequate measures post-July 20,” said a government source. At least eight Internet shutdown orders were issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) between July 20 and July 25, blocking communication in a radius of 1.5 km around Jantar Mantar. An Internet ban was imposed briefly on July 18, too, when activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a hunger strike for more than 20 days, was forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar to Safdarjung Hospital by the police.

“The police were prepared to hold and manage the crowd at Jantar Mantar for the next few days, coinciding with the ongoing session of the Parliament. The gathering was largely peaceful, and the possibility of unruly elements wanting to take advantage of the situation is always there,” said another government source. Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said on Saturday (July 25, 2026) that the CJP delegation submitted a written proposal covering cases related to the agitation along with its five-point charter. “The government assured the team that no action will be taken against the organisers and protesters, and no new cases will be registered in connection with the agitation. It also expressed condolences to the families of the students who lost their lives and assured them of the highest possible compensation as per the rules,” Mr. Nadda said, adding that discussions will continue with the delegation.