New Delhi [India], July 25 : Veteran Indian wrestler and three-time Olympian Vinesh Phogat hailed the youth of the country, 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, saying that 'democracy won and fear lost.'
Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, saying that he wanted to ensure that the protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."
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," she said. (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.)
https://x.com/Phogat_Vinesh/status/2081040154555232426?s=20
Vinesh Phogat said those who endured hardships during the movement remained steadfast, adding 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," she added. (Those who faced the lathis 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.)
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.