Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation gave oxygen to democracy: Uddhav Thackeray

Published 26 July 2026 · local

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has said the youth-led protests seeking the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan gave "oxygen to democracy", and called the Cockroach

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has said the youth-led protests seeking the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan gave "oxygen to democracy", and called the Cockroach Janata Party's agitation a sign of the failure of both the government and the Opposition. He made the remarks in an interview with Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, executive editor of party mouthpiece Saamana, which was published on Sunday but recorded before Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday. Read Full Story Pradhan stepped down after an unprecedented youth movement led by the Cockroach Janta Party, founded by Abhijit Dipke, drew lakhs of people over alleged irregularities in exams and the NEET paper leak.

The agitation grew into nationwide protests in recent weeks, with demands for his resignation and reforms in the education sector. Thackeray said it was commendable that people no longer feared jail or guns, and added that this was "dangerous" for the ruling party. "These protests have given oxygen to democracy which was almost dying," he said. He also questioned the absence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh from the protests. "CJP's protest is not only a failure of the ruling party but also of the Opposition. I had mentioned this sometime back...the country has lost trust in politicians," he said.

The former Maharashtra Chief Minister also claimed that the country was being shown only a carrot, but had got nothing in reality. Thackeray said the protests were not only about NEET, but "an explosion of the betrayal and discontent of the last 12 years", and described them as very fervent. "From Delhi to Mumbai, (I) have realised that people have moved beyond fear. Till now, people were kept at gunpoint, but now they shrugged fear for their lives and have hit the streets," he said. Attacking the BJP-led Centre, he claimed the government had completely failed.

"(They have) completely destroyed the country," the Sena (UBT) leader said. He also said that labelling the youths as cockroaches was an insult. In sum, Thackeray portrayed the nationwide protests over exam irregularities and the NEET paper leak as a wider expression of anger, saying they had revived democratic dissent while exposing the failure of the ruling side and the Opposition. Ends