New Delhi, 25 July

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling it a "victory for democracy" after weeks of nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.

Addressing supporters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar shortly after news of the resignation broke, Dipke declared, "We have done it. Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned," triggering celebrations among protesters gathered at the site. Referring to the government's decision, he said, "Jhukti hai duniya, jhukane wala chahiye" ("The world bends, but it takes someone to make it bend"), adding that people should not be afraid to demand accountability in a democracy.

According to videos shared from the protest venue, Dipke became visibly emotional after learning of the resignation, briefly dropping to his knees on stage before regaining his composure as supporters cheered.

However, Dipke clarified that the agitation would not end with Pradhan's resignation. He said the protest would continue until the remaining demands were addressed, including compensation for families of students who died by suicide following the alleged paper leak and action over the police crackdown on protesters during the "Sansad Chalo" march in Delhi.

In his resignation letter, Pradhan said he was stepping down in the larger interest of students and to ensure the ongoing unrest was not exploited by "anti-national forces". He said the government had acted promptly after irregularities surfaced in the NEET-UG examination by ordering a CBI investigation, cancelling the exam, announcing a re-test and deciding to conduct the examination in computer-based mode from next year.

Pradhan also said he had accepted responsibility for the controversy from the outset and remained committed to protecting the interests of students throughout the crisis.