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Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj, Armaan Malik and more react to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation
Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 25, following weeks of student protests over alleged NEET paper leaks.
In a significant development that has captured national attention, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 25, following weeks of intense student protests over alleged NEET paper leaks and examination irregularities. The protests, which have been ongoing at Jantar Mantar in Delhi for almost a month, were spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and gained further momentum when educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the hunger strike that lasted 26 days.
The resignation has sparked reactions from across the spectrum, including prominent celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Prakash Raj, Armaan Malik and many more celebrities from across the nation, who have voiced their support for the protesting students and their demand for accountability in India's education system.
What celebs are saying
Priyanka Chopra Jonas took to her Instagram on Saturday afternoon to tweet emojis on journalist Faye D'Souza's post about the resignation. She used “applause”, “celebration” and “red heart emoji”.
Armaan Malik took to social media to say, “Power of the youth.” Prakash Raj, who has been consistently attending the Jantar Mantar protests, wrote, “Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️ my Dear Cockroaches.. Dear Sonam wangchuk sir and every single one who stood by the youth . You Have proved that you can bring a regime down to its knees . 💪💪💪#justasking.”
Vijay Varma also took to Instagram to say, “Accha chalta hoon.. duaaon mein yaad rakhna (I'll take my leave now... keep me in your prayers).” This is a lyric from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil movie.
Actor Tillotama Shome also shared her views on Instagram which read, "Dharmendra Pradhan Has resigned as Union Education Minister.Most fortunate to witness this historic Revolution led by our youth. "Youth is wasted on the young" can retire officially. And other tired cliches and cynical smart Alecs. And, NO, not back to business as usual. Thank you thank you to the YOUTH of INDIA!!!"
Telugu actor-filmmaker Rahul Ravindran, who starred in Alia Bhatt's Jigra, wrote a long piece on his social media which read, “And the resignation has happened. It's no reason to celebrate. A person losing their job never is. But this is crucial. It is important that a strong culture and precedent is set time and again that people in the highest positions of power will face the consequences of repeat lapses and inefficiencies. That is a very basic check in every sphere of public service. It creates a culture of accountability in any democracy. Ten Lakh teaching jobs are lying vacant in the country. Many rural schools don't have a single functioning teacher. Many more schools do not have access to drinking water for children. Our population spends more hard earned money on private education than the union budget for education.”
And of course, Question Papers leak all the time. I hope those responsible for the indiscriminate use of brutal force on students and peaceful protestors are held accountable and face consequences. Every single person who contributed in the smallest of ways to the biggest to mobilise this roar that was heard in the corridors of power... we shouldn't have had to do so much to be heard. But it was done. And change was forced. Every single one of you is a patriot of the highest order. Jai Hind," he concluded.
Actor Manav Kaul, who was at the Mumbai protest on Friday, wrote, “I love you …. YUVA … ye desh tumhare hai .. tumhare haathon mein hai ab sab kuch … khel jaao ♥️♥️♥️ Bahut bahut badhaaiyaan ♥️ Jai hind 🇮🇳.”
Ishaan Khatter posted a picture of him posing with a picture with the words “Inqabab Zindabad” written on it. He stated, “India won today. Democracy won today. Millions of collective empathy flushed out millions of years of apathy of habits. So damn proud. THIS is my India I grew up in. Maa tujhe salaam ♥️✊🏽.”
Aditi Rao Hydari also took to Instagram to share her thoughts.
How the resignation unfolded
The decision comes after nearly a month of student protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where demonstrators, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanded accountability over alleged examination irregularities and called for reforms in India's education system. The movement gained wider attention after educator and activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest and observed a 26-day hunger strike in support of the students.
On July 20, protesters marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament but were stopped by security personnel, who used lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd. A few days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that all those accused in the NEET paper leak case had been arrested and that fast-track courts would be set up to ensure a speedy trial.
On July 25, Dharmendra Pradhan took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He wrote on X, “The youth power of India is the real strength of this country. We will not let the youth power of the country get trapped in a vicious cycle of illusion; this is my resolve Anti-national forces should not take advantage of the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and in the country, the unity of the country should be maintained, the future of not even a single student of India should get entangled in legal complexities, and our children should spend their time studying and focusing on building their careers. Considering all these things, I have sent my resignation letter to the Honorable Prime Minister.”
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