Youth Protests Demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation

Thousands of young protesters, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), converged on New Delhi on July 20, 2026, to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following widespread irregularities and paper leaks in the NEET-UG examination. The unrest peaked during a 'Sansad Chalo' march toward Parliament, where security forces deployed tear gas, water cannons, and baton charges to block demonstrators. These clashes resulted in injuries to approximately 180 people, including 118 police personnel and 60 protesters, and led to over 100 detentions.

The movement, founded by Abhijeet Dipke as a satirical response to comments by Chief Justice Surya Kant, was further galvanized by activist Sonam Wangchuk. Wangchuk had conducted a 21-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar before being forcibly hospitalized by police on July 18. The CJP’s core demands include Pradhan's resignation, the release of Wangchuk, and 1 crore rupees in compensation for the families of students who committed suicide following the exam failures.

Inside Parliament, the opening of the Monsoon Session was repeatedly adjourned as opposition leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, condemned the police crackdown as an attack on democracy. In a gesture of outreach, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda met with CJP representatives to discuss their petition. While Nadda described the meeting as cordial and requested an end to the sit-in, CJP leaders stated that no formal commitments were made. Following the violence, the CJP announced it would continue its protests at Jantar Mantar but cancel further marches to prevent more youth casualties.