A protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged examination irregularities and NEET paper leak, in New Delhi on July 24, 2026. | Photo Credit: ANI
It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the Jantar Mantar protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is by far the most formidable challenge this government has faced in its 12 years of rule. While it was the issue of repeated paper leaks which pushed the people over the brink, the disillusionment runs far deeper among young Indians. And there is a material basis for this disillusionment. Unfortunately, neither the defiant resignation letter of the Minister nor the rousing welcome he got in the Parliament after the resignation gives the impression that the government has heard the voice of its own youth with any humility.
The question, then, is: why did the agitation catch the imagination of the youth?
Published - August 05, 2026 07:00 am IST