Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has described the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as a major victory for the student movement, but asserted that the campaign for education reforms is far from over.
In a video message released a day after Pradhan stepped down amid the NEET-UG controversy, Dipke thanked students and supporters across the country for standing by the movement, calling the minister's resignation "just the beginning" of a larger fight for accountability.
"As I have been saying since day one, this is just the beginning. The Cockroach Janata Party has a long way to go, and we are definitely going to go a long way. This is just the beginning," Dipke said.
Reflecting on the past five weeks of protests, Dipke said he was finally able to rest after an emotionally and physically exhausting campaign."Today, finally, I was able to sleep peacefully and wake up without constantly thinking about what needs to be done next or worrying about what will happen by the end of the day. There is no panic anymore," he said.
Calling the last 37 days among the toughest of his life, Dipke said the struggle had tested not only him but the entire CJP team.
"The last 37 days that I went through were really, really difficult. It was not easy—not just for me, but for our entire team," he said. Dipke expressed gratitude to supporters across India who continued to back the movement despite criticism and scepticism.
"I would like to thank each and every supporter of the Cockroach Janata Party spread across India. To everyone who believed in us and stood by us when others doubted us—I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without your support, this would not have been possible."
He also acknowledged those who criticised the movement, saying their questions ultimately helped strengthen the campaign.
"I also want to thank those who doubted us and criticised us. If you had not questioned us, perhaps we would not have had the opportunity to improve ourselves. Your criticism helped us become better."
Dipke apologised for being unable to personally meet supporters who remained at Jantar Mantar after the protest was called off, revealing that he had been forced to leave due to illness.
"I have typhoid, and my fever had risen quite high. My temperature reached 101, which is why I had to return home. I just want to thank all of you," he said.
On July 25, Dipke had disclosed in a separate video that he had been diagnosed with typhoid and was receiving intravenous (IV) treatment twice a day. Despite his illness, he had vowed to continue the agitation until Pradhan resigned.
The CJP on Saturday formally withdrew its protest after the Centre accepted the students' key demands following Pradhan's resignation. Addressing a joint press conference in New Delhi, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the government had agreed to withdraw FIRs registered against students in Delhi and BJP-ruled states and would share copies of all such cases with the organisation.
Das also said the government had been given a draft seeking written assurances on the agreed demands.
"The government has said it will share this with us by Tuesday. We hope to receive written guarantees regarding these FIRs and any future action," he said.
While announcing the end of the agitation, Das maintained that some anti-social elements had infiltrated the protests and distanced the organisation from incidents of violence reported during the demonstrations.
Several public figures welcomed Pradhan's resignation. Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who observed a 25-day fast in support of the students, called it a victory but stressed that genuine accountability must be followed by comprehensive reforms in the education system. Former BJP president Murli Manohar Joshi congratulated the youth for what he described as a peaceful movement, while senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the resignation showed that public accountability cannot be avoided indefinitely.
