"Kept Worrying, Lost Appetite, But Extremely Proud": Abhijeet Dipke's Mother

"He has done a tremendous job at such a young age," said Anita Dipke, Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke's mother, reacting to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan following a massive students' protest.

Abhijeet Dipke's CJP, founded on Instagram as a satirical group, spearheaded the protest against the government over NEET paper leaks. They braved heat, rain, humidity and police crackdowns but remained steadfast in their main demand -- accountability from the government and Pradhan's resignation.

The BJP-led central government took some tough measures in the wake of the agitation, including transferring the education secretary and sacking 47 National Testing Agency employees over the paper leak. However, the protesting students insisted on Pradhan's resignation.

On Saturday afternoon, the government and Pradhan relented.

The past five weeks, when Dipke led the protest, weren't easy for his parents.

Anita Dipke told ANI that she couldn't sleep or eat properly because she was worried about her son.

"I am very happy...I feel very proud...I was scared at times because he was beaten. I kept worrying about what might happen to him... They slapped him. I felt terrible. I couldn't sleep. I stayed awake until three or four o'clock in the morning. I couldn't eat either. Both of us lost our appetite and couldn't sleep. Since June 7, we haven't felt like doing anything at home," she said.

#WATCH | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra | Anita Dipke, mother of Cockroach Janta Party's Founding President Abhijeet Dipke, says, "I am very happy...I feel very proud...I was scared at times because he was beaten. I kept worrying about what might happen to him... They… https://t.co/1f64Ic1Edl pic.twitter.com/aJqG8l3Kdh

— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2026

However, now that he has achieved what he had set out to do, she is happy and proud.

"He has done a tremendous job...He's still very young, yet he has accomplished something so significant. I am extremely proud of him," she added.

What Dharmendra Pradhan Said 

Pradhan announced his resignation on X this afternoon.

"I hold deep respect for the aspirations, sentiments, and rightful expectations of the youth of this country. Realising the dreams of India's young generation has been the moral resolve of our political and social life. I express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the opportunity given to me to serve the nation under his visionary leadership," he wrote on X.

Also read: Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns As Education Minister Amid CJP Protests

"Keeping in mind that anti-national forces should not take advantage of the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the unity of the nation remains intact, that the future of even a single student of India does not get entangled in legal complications, and that our children devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers -- I have submitted my resignation to Hon'ble Prime Minister," he added.

Elated, Dipke told his fellow protesters at Jantar Mantar, "We have done it". 

"They used to say that no one resigns in this government. But we have done it," he added.