Jantar Mantar erupts in jubilation as students sing National Anthem

Around 2:30 pm on Saturday, minutes after Dharmendra Pradhan posted his resignation letter on X, the news reached Jantar Mantar through spotty mobile signals that police had throttled for days. Disbelief rippled through the protest site first — students huddled around the few phones with a bar of data, calling relatives outside Delhi, refreshing social feeds, asking strangers if they had heard the same thing. Then a roar rose from the crowd. Strangers embraced. Some broke down weeping. Others stood frozen, unable to process that the Minister they had camped opposite for 50 days had finally stepped down.

Within minutes, waves of protesters spilled out of the Jantar Mantar enclosure toward Janpath Metro Gate No. 2 — the Sansad Marg exit had been sealed. They cheered, pumped fists, and chanted slogans from "Jai Bhim" to "Bharat Mata ki Jai." Near Janpath Market, opposite Sagar Ratna, three women — an entrepreneur, a lawyer, and a Lady Shri Ram College graduate — stood laughing and crying at once. "They have really done something which nobody has done before," the entrepreneur, Neha, said. Her friend Manisha teased her: "You must take some credit yourself. You are the lucky charm; you came to the protest, and the Minister resigned."

A few metres away, a large group stood perfectly still as the National Anthem began. The singing lasted fifty seconds. No one moved. No slogans interrupted. When it ended, the crowd erupted again.

Risha, 26, who had travelled from Faridabad, fought back tears: "The government was forced to listen to the youth; they had no other option." An 18-year-old student who gave his name as Aman said: "This protest is the beginning. Other corrupt Ministers must be forced to resign as well to enforce accountability." A parent from Dehradun, accompanying their child, said Pradhan's resignation was necessary so that students could return to their studies.

What we can verify

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation via a post on X on 25 July 2026, addressing it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi (The Indian Express, 10803141).
• Pradhan's resignation letter cited being "saddened by what unfolded over the last 10 days" and referenced the NEET-UG paper leak, the CBI investigation, the re-examination conducted on 21 June, and the Cabinet's approval of a stringent anti-paper-leak Bill (The Indian Express, 10803141).
• At Jantar Mantar, the epicentre of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protest since early June, the news triggered jubilation, tears, and a spontaneous rendition of the National Anthem near Janpath Metro Gate No. 2 (The Indian Express, 10803219).
• CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke reacted: "We have done it. Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned," and the party's official X handle posted: "Cockroaches won, democracy won" (The Indian Express, 10803174).
• Dipke's mother, Anita Dipke, said: "This is very good. For two-and-a-half months, the students have been fighting... He was slapped and vilified. Now, there is victory" (The Indian Express, 10803174).
• Mobile internet remained heavily restricted at the protest site and surrounding areas through the afternoon, according to reporters on the ground (The Indian Express, 10803219).
• Security forces began moving into Jantar Mantar shortly after the resignation announcement to clear the site (The Indian Express, 10803141).

What remains unverified

• Exact crowd size at Jantar Mantar and on Janpath at the moment of celebration — no official or independent count is available.
• Whether the internet restrictions were a targeted shutdown at the protest site or a broader network congestion issue — authorities have not issued a statement.
• Specific timeline for the government's response to the remaining CJP demands (dropping of FIRs against protesters, compensation for injured students, structural exam reform beyond the Cabinet-approved Bill).
• Claims by some protesters that other Ministers will be forced out next — no corroborating political developments at time of publication.

Cover image: Students celebrating at Jantar Mantar after Pradhan's resignation announcement. Source: The Indian Express