Several Bollywood celebrities celebrated the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday after weeks of nationwide student protests over alleged examination irregularities, writes Geo News.
Pradhan stepped down following sustained demonstrations led by the youth-driven Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), with protesters demanding his resignation and sweeping reforms to the country’s education system.
Among the first to react was Sonakshi Sinha, who shared a video on Instagram thanking the students and expressing admiration for Generation Z.
“Sorry, what I meant to say was that I’m proud of you and THANK YOU… What a day!!!” she wrote.
The actor also performed sit-ups while holding her ears—a traditional gesture of apology and remorse—as a tribute to the students’ determination.
Alia Bhatt praised the younger generation, posting on Instagram:
“Gen Z showed up! The rest is history.”
She had earlier described the protesters as the voice of an entire generation working to create a better future.
Sara Ali Khan marked the occasion with an Instagram Story reading “Democracy,” accompanied by heart, folded-hands and Indian flag emojis.
Her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan also welcomed the development, writing:
“Happy to see voices heard. It’s done bro.”
He later shared another post reading:
“DEMOCRACY. GEN Z & THE YOUTH OF INDIA.”
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi called Pradhan’s resignation a major victory for students but urged them to continue pushing for broader reforms.
Actor Prakash Raj congratulated the protesters, writing:
“Congratulations my Dear Cockroaches.”
Addressing activist Sonam Wangchuk and the movement’s supporters, he added:
“You have proved that you can bring a regime down to its knees.”
Priyanka Chopra shared news reports about Pradhan’s resignation, describing it as a significant political development after weeks of protests and Sonam Wangchuk’s prolonged hunger strike.
Other actors, including Vaani Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Ayesha Kanga, Anjali Sivaraman and Tina Datta, also expressed support for the students through social media posts celebrating the outcome.
Following another round of talks with the government, CJP announced that it was ending its protests after claiming its key demands had been accepted.
These included Pradhan’s resignation, compensation for those affected by examination irregularities and the withdrawal of legal cases against protesters.
In a statement on X, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to the prime minister, adding that the recent developments had deeply pained him.
“This is not a matter of personal prestige for me. India’s youth power is the real strength of this nation,” he wrote.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke addressed supporters after the announcement, declaring:
“We have done it.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi described Pradhan’s resignation as a “huge step” and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to students while ensuring accountability for violence against protesters.
