Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke hailed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a massive victory for democracy, releasing a video message to thank the youth for their unwavering protests. However, the activist made it clear that the fight is far from over, declaring that the minister's departure is "just a beginning."
The political landscape was jolted on Saturday when Pradhan announced his resignation amidst intense nationwide agitation over the NEET-UG examination paper leak controversy. Dipke credited the success entirely to the youth and CJP supporters-whom he affectionately refers to as "cockroaches"- for maintaining a peaceful but relentless nationwide movement.
The victory comes as a triumph for Dipke, who has been battling severe health issues. On Saturday, he released a separate video confirming he had been diagnosed with typhoid and was receiving intravenous (IV) drips twice a day. Despite his illness, he had vowed that the protests would not stop until Pradhan stepped down from his ministerial position.
"All the people who were waiting for Jantar Mantar for 37 days, I want to thank each and every one of you. And I want to tell you that I really, really, really appreciate what you did for this country," he said in the video. He also thanked those who criticised. For criticism helped him improve through what he described as legitimate questions. "I think that's why we were able to deliver as well," he added.
Dharmendra Pradhan, in his resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stated that he was stepping down in the "larger interest of students" to ensure the youth do not become "trapped in a web of confusion". The former minister defended the government's prompt action of handing the probe to the CBI and shifting to a Computer-Based Test (CBT) model for next year, but noted that he did not want the situation to be "exploited by anti-national forces".
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