‘Time Has Come To Remove Govt’, Says Rahul Gandhi After Pradhan's Resignation

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday welcomed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following weeks of student protests over alleged irregularities in government examinations, saying the moment had arrived “to remove this government”.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi met a group of protesting students at his 10 Janpath residence. In a post on X, he congratulated students across the country who had joined the agitation, describing their mobilisation as a fight to safeguard democracy, the Constitution and their future.

“Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is a huge step towards reshaping our education system. Well done to students across the country; we are proud of all of you. Heartiest congratulations to every young person, every student who took to the streets and stood firm to protect democracy, the Constitution, and their future,” Gandhi wrote.

He added that two demands remained unresolved. Gandhi called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise while “respecting the students and India's future” and demanded action against those responsible for violence against protesting students.

Extending the message beyond the student movement, Gandhi urged other sections of society to assert their rights through constitutional means.

“For other sections of society—farmers, labourers, the poor, every person whom this government has suppressed and crushed—true courage lies in standing firm in a constitutional manner for one's dignity. The time has come to remove this government. Don't be afraid!” he said.

Dharmendra Pradhan Steps Down

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday after sustained protests in Delhi demanding that he take responsibility for examination-related irregularities, particularly the alleged NEET-UG paper leak.

Pradhan announced his decision through a letter shared on X, saying he had stepped down with students’ future and national unity in mind.

“...To ensure that anti-national elements are not benefited by the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, students in India do not get tangled in legal complexities and focus on their studies and their career, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister...,” the letter read.

His resignation came a day after representatives of the Cockroach Janta Party, the student outfit led by Abhijeet Dipke, met Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh. Following the meeting, the group said the government had sought one day to take a decision on Pradhan’s continuation in office.

Abhijeet Dipke ‘Thanks’ CJI

Soon after Pradhan’s resignation, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke addressed supporters at Jantar Mantar and referred to the Supreme Court remark that inspired the movement’s name.

“Thanks for calling us cockroaches,” Dipke said in a message directed at Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.

“I would like to thank CJI Surya Kant. If he hadn't called us cockroaches, I wouldn't have come to India. This movement would not have started,” he told the gathering.

The controversy dates back to a May 15 Supreme Court hearing concerning the designation of senior advocates. During the proceedings, the CJI had remarked that “there are youngsters like cockroaches, who don't get any employment and don't have any place in the profession”.

Justice Kant later clarified that the observation referred specifically to individuals holding fake law degrees and was not intended as a general comment about unemployed young people. He has also maintained that sections of the media misrepresented his remarks.

Despite those clarifications, the comment spread widely online and was eventually adopted by the protesting students as the identity of their movement.