Cockroach Janta Party Activists And A 26-Day Hunger Strike Force Pradhan Out As Police Used Tear Gas And Batons Against Protesters Near Parliament
According to Al Jazeera, India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on July 25, 2026, announcing on X that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before a third round of talks was scheduled between the government and the Cockroach Janta Party.
The Cockroach Janta Party, named after a remark from a government official, had been leading nationwide youth demonstrations triggered by a series of alleged examination paper leaks, described as one of India’s biggest displays of public dissent in recent years. Protests spread from New Delhi to Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Police deployed tear gas and batons against large crowds near Parliament earlier in the week.
An activist had been on a 26-day hunger strike demanding Pradhan’s resignation. “I hold deep respect for the aspirations, sentiments, and rightful expectations of the youth of this country,” Pradhan wrote on X.
The exam paper leaks struck at a crisis point for millions of Indian students whose university admissions, medical college placements and government job prospects depend entirely on national examination results.
A movement named after an insult forced out a cabinet minister. India’s young people made their government blink.
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