Sonam Wangchuk Thanks Supporters After Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation

Climate activist and educationist Sonam Wangchuk offered his first reaction after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation, calling the development a victory for democracy achieved through peaceful, sustained protest. In a post on X, Wangchuk described the outcome as an example of "direct democracy... straight from the streets," crediting it to peace, patience, and perseverance. He shared the message alongside a photograph taken from his hospital bed, in which he made a "V" sign symbolizing victory.

Wangchuk had joined the protest led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on June 28 by launching a hunger strike, demanding Pradhan's resignation along with broader reforms to the education system. He ended his 26-day fast on Thursday night after the government assured him that the NEET paper leak issue would be discussed in Parliament, that no legal action would be taken against protesting students, and that compensation would be provided to the families of students who died by suicide following the paper leak. In his reaction to Pradhan's resignation, Wangchuk also praised the CJP and the country's Gen-Z demonstrators for sustaining the movement over the past month, thanking citizens across the country for overcoming fear and mobilizing in support of the cause. He noted that with Pradhan's exit, the focus of the movement would now shift from demanding accountability to pushing for concrete reforms.

Pradhan had announced his resignation hours ahead of a scheduled third round of talks between the government and the CJP. In a two-page statement posted on X, he said he had been saddened by the events of the preceding ten days and stressed that the matter was not about personal prestige. He said that from the outset he had taken full responsibility and remained committed to ensuring that no meritorious student's future was compromised by what he referred to as the "exam mafia," or that any student faced injustice. His remarks referred to irregularities surrounding the NEET-UG examination, which had originally been scheduled for May 3, 2026, but was postponed to June 21 following a paper leak.

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Reacting to the resignation, the CJP posted "Long live student power" on X and shared a video of its founder, Abhijeet Dipke, celebrating the announcement. Addressing supporters, Dipke described the moment as a triumph of democracy and issued a pointed message not to underestimate the movement. Despite the resignation, the CJP clarified that its protest would continue, as two of its original three demands remained unmet — a payment of Rs 1 crore in compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, and a formal assurance that no action would be taken against student protesters.

The group also announced an additional, fourth demand following Pradhan's resignation: a formal apology from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police personnel to the protesters. With accountability now shifting toward the question of reform, the coming days are expected to see continued negotiations between the CJP and the government over the movement's remaining demands, as well as growing attention on how authorities plan to address the fallout from the NEET paper leak controversy.

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