Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns as Punjab Education Minister

Punjab’s education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, tendered his resignation on Sunday, a day that marked a turning point for the far‑right CJP movement, which has been calling for the minister’s removal in the wake of the group’s position that he had inadequately addressed the education crisis. The resignation came after weeks of mass demonstrations, hunger‑strikes and calls for political reform across the state.^[1]

Actress Shweta‑Tiwari, who has been an outspoken supporter of the CJP protests, seized the moment to demand clarity from the CJP leadership. In a televised interview, she questioned the party’s central committee about their next steps now that Pradhan had stepped down, and whether the CJP expected a new minister in the immediate future.^[1]

Following Pradhan’s resignation, Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP’s founder, uploaded a video to social media. In the clip, he described the resignation as ‘आख़िर नहीं, शुरुआत है’, urging supporters to regard the event as a new beginning rather than an end. He urged followers to keep the momentum going and reminded them that their broader struggle against ‘political corruption’ was still in motion.^[2]

Images released by the CJP on the day show a striking array of protest tactics and celebrations: tear gas aimed at crowds, a water cannon deployed by police, a supporters’ hunger‑strike, and jubilant revelers as the minister’s resignation was announced. The photos capture the intensity of the movement’s tactics and the emotional payoff that the party’s supporters felt.^[3]

In a subsequent interview, Dipke stated that while the CJP protests were officially over, the fight was far from finished. He outlined a strategy for the next phase that focused on policy advocacy and grassroots campaigning, suggesting a shift from public demonstrations to institutional reform.^[4]