IMAGE: The youth protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, July 24, 2026. Photograph: Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters

Key Points

• Veteran Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat praised the youth movement following Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
• Phogat stated that the youth are 'the force that shapes the future' and that 'democracy won and fear lost' as a result of their protests.
• She highlighted the courage of young protesters who, guided by faith in the Constitution, became powerful voices despite intimidation attempts.
• The resignation of Pradhan followed weeks of nationwide protests and a 26-day hunger strike led by Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar.
• The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) spearheaded the agitation, demanding accountability for alleged paper leaks, including a 'Sansad Chalo' march that saw police action.

Veteran Indian wrestler and three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat hailed India's youth, calling them the 'force that shapes the future' following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak row. Vinesh also said that 'democracy won and fear lost' after Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Youth-Led Movement Reflects Nation's Spirit

In a post on X, Vinesh Phogat praised the youth-led movement, saying it reflected the nation's spirit and highlighted the courage of young protesters. She said the youth, guided by faith in the Constitution, emerged as powerful voices despite attempts to intimidate them. "Yeh aandolan ne humein bataya ki desh ki aatma abhi bhi jaag rahi hai. Yuva sirf bheed nahi hote, woh bhavishya ki disha tay karne wali shakti hote hain. Sadkon par khade un bachchon ne humein sahas ka asli arth samjhaya. Haathon mein phool, dilon mein Samvidhan par vishwas tha. Jinhe daraane ki koshish ki gayi, wahi sabse oonchi awaaz bankar ubhre," (This movement showed us that the soul of the nation is still alive. The youth are not merely a crowd; they are the force that shapes the future. Those young people standing on the streets taught us the true meaning of courage. With flowers in their hands, and faith in the Constitution in their hearts -- those whom attempts were made to intimidate emerged as the loudest voices)," she said.

Democracy Triumphs Over Fear

Vinesh added that the struggle would be remembered as a moment when people refused to stay silent. She said the outcome showed that "democracy won and fear lost."

"Jin par laathiyan chali, unhone umeed nahi chhodi. Yaad rakha jayega har woh din, jab nyaay ki maang ko dabaane ki koshish hui. Aur yaad rakhi jayegi woh peedhi, jisne chup rehne se inkaar kar diya. Khushi is baat ki hai ki sangharsh vyarth nahi gaya. Loktantra jeet gaya... aur darr haar gaya (Those who faced the police batons did not give up hope. Every day will be remembered when attempts were made to suppress the demand for justice. And that generation will be remembered -- the one that refused to remain silent. The joy lies in the fact that the struggle did not go in vain. Democracy won... and fear lost)," she added.

Minister's Resignation Amidst Protests

The resignation of Pradhan came after weeks of nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities and a 26-day hunger strike led by Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar.

The agitation was spearheaded by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has been demanding accountability over alleged paper leaks. On July 20, the group organised a 'Sansad Chalo' march from Jantar Mantar to the Parliament, during which instances of laathi charge and tear gas shelling were reported to disperse the huge crowd gathered in central Delhi.