‘Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is a milestone, but not the end: Protesters vow to continue until all demands are met

While political representatives, student organizations and civil society groups welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and claimed that their agitation is not over yet, Hyderabad-based Disha Students Organization said in a statement on Saturday, “The resignation is a victory for the student-youth movement. However, the movement must continue until all our demands are met.”

Describing the Minister’s resignation as a victory for the student movement across the country, the organizations said the protests will continue until their remaining demands are met, including withdrawal of criminal cases against the protesters, action against police personnel accused of using excessive force during the crackdown at Jantar Mantar on July 20, and payment of compensation to families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the leak of NEET papers.

A solidarity meeting titled ‘Voices of Opposition’ was organized by the Babasaheb Ambedkar Reading Group in Hyderabad at the old Ambedkar statue on Saturday, July 25, with the participation of artists, students, activists and working professionals from across the country, arguing that the resignation was not the end of the movement but only the beginning.

The event resonated with revolutionary songs and poems. Protesters sang Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega, a Hindi adaptation of Bella Ciao, along with several other songs related to people’s movements, while participants chanted slogans demanding accountability and systematic reforms in the education sector.

Kavya, a 25-year-old working professional from Hyderabad, described the Minister’s resignation as a significant achievement of the student movement but said the government must now take significant reforms. “The resignation is a great achievement, but we hope the government maintains the momentum by ensuring accountability and ensuring transparency in the education system, especially in the conduct of examinations,” he said.

Among the participants were two friends in their early 20s who said they attended protests in Hyderabad last week. While they welcomed the minister’s resignation, they argued that deeper structural changes were needed. “The resignation of the Union Minister is definitely a big step, but the system itself needs to change because there are still serious problems in the education system,” one of them said.

Responding to the development, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Vijay Mallangi said that the resignation was a step in the right direction but should have come much earlier. He said the movement will continue until two key demands are met: compensation of ₹ 1 crore to families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the leak of NEET papers and immediate disciplinary action against police personnel accused of using excessive force during the crackdown on student protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20.

Banners with messages such as ‘Opposition is Democratic’ and ‘Ab Hamari Mann Ki Baat Suno’ were hung throughout the meeting.

In a statement, Disha Students Organization said the resignation was a turning point for the student and youth movement but insisted that the agitation will continue until all First Information Reports (FIR) registered against students and youth are withdrawn, police personnel involved in the alleged crackdown are suspended and a high-level judicial inquiry is constituted.

The organization also criticized the former Education Minister for attributing the protests to ‘anti-national elements’, arguing that such statements diverted attention from concerns expressed by students about the leak of exam papers and systemic shortcomings in the education system.

Bandru Vimala, Honorary President of Arunodaya Cultural Federation (Telangana and Andhra Pradesh), termed the resignation as the result of continuous struggle of students and youth at Jantar Mantar and across the country. Alleging that police used excessive force during the demonstrations, she claimed that some personnel involved in the operation were not wearing nameplates while others were allegedly in plain clothes.

BRS members participated in a BRSV protest at Indira Park in Hyderabad on Friday, July 24, 2026, condemning the Central Government’s alleged crackdown on students and youth in Delhi. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

“This is no ordinary issue,” Ms. Vimala said, adding that the protests had turned into a broader civil movement with support from various sections of society, including activist Sonam Wangchuk. He said the agitation will continue until accountability is ensured and the remaining demands of the protesters are met.

It was published – 25 July 2026 18:51 IST