Education Minister responds for the first time as Congress-CJP protests intensify over police crackdown on student march
New Delhi, July 22, 2026: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan issued his first public response on Tuesday to the mounting demand for his resignation, asserting that the government “owes students more than outrage” as protests led by the Congress party and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) continued to grip the capital.
Pradhan’s remarks came as Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, staged a protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, only to be forcibly detained by police after refusing to disperse despite assurances from MoS Jitendra Singh that the matter would be raised in Parliament.
The backlash against Pradhan stems from Monday’s violent police crackdown on a CJP-led march to Parliament, where lathi-charges and tear gas left several protesters injured, one reportedly critical. The CJP has accused security forces of brutality, including an alleged attack on a vehicle carrying founder Abhijeet Dipke, activist Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali Angmo, and actors Shabana Azmi and Prakash Raj.
Pradhan’s statement, seen as an attempt to reframe the narrative around accountability rather than resignation, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders who argue words alone cannot substitute for action, especially with Wangchuk still hospitalised and student anger unresolved.
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