A large-scale protest occurred in Delhi demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister, driven by concerns over student welfare and government accountability, with significant youth participation and backing from opposition parties and celebrities.

A large-scale protest occurred in Delhi demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister, driven by concerns over student welfare and government accountability, with significant youth participation and backing from opposition parties and celebrities.

A large-scale protest occurred in Delhi demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister, driven by concerns over student welfare and government accountability, with significant youth participation and backing from opposition parties and celebrities.

On Monday morning, Christine, 40, holds the hand of her nine-year-old daughter and tells her to keep chanting, "Istifa do, istifa do" (tender resignation, tender resignation), as they march to Parliament following the ‘Sansad Chalo’ call given by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and endorsed by Sonam Wangchuk. The protest of perhaps tens of thousands at each choke point demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

"I have come from Bengaluru, and it's my daughter's birthday today," Christine says. "I felt coming here was a priority because what is happening to students today can happen to my daughter tomorrow." She adds that this was an opportunity to come together and restore accountability in the system.

Traffic jams and the closure of a few Metro stations were meant to slow the influx of protesters; despite that, people thronged the main protest site at Jantar Mantar and gathered around Parliament House, where the police had created barriers. Anil Gupta, 74, who lives in Australia and was in Delhi, says he came to the protest site particularly for the future of his grandchildren, all of whom are below 20 years of age.

The composition of the protests visibly suggests its wider appeal among youth even though many were unable to join. Nitin, who was waiting for the Metro, said he wanted to go join the protest, but he had to attend Monday office.

Madan Mohan Jha, a political analyst, believes there are two firsts in this protest. First, it is the first major protest against the present BJP-led government, and second, it is the first Gen Z protest with a broader appeal. The protest has brought together different sections of people who feel that the government, as a whole, has not been able to work for the welfare of the masses. "The government has failed on several fronts," Anil Gupta says. "The country is getting poorer by the day, and people in the government and those close to the government are getting richer."

Moreover, the Opposition has been indirectly supporting the movement as it believes that it has set a ball in motion that can shape the upcoming political narrative and even create anti-incumbency.

So too had many taken leave from their offices, colleges, and other occupations. Arun Kumar had come from Bihar to protest against the government because his younger brother had appeared for the NEET examination and eventually found that all the preparation, just like thousands of other youth, had been inconsequential, leaving him anxious because of the government's apathy towards paper leaks.

Crowds swelling at different choke points may have worried the government, but the protest appeared to be managed strategically. At many places, the crowd was contained around Parliament House. Elsewhere, where the protesters swelled into thick crowds, they were dispersed manually, and where the crowds continued to grow stronger, tear gas was used.

The growing public anger was amplified by Bollywood actors and other celebrities, who expressed support on social media and joined Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar during his fast. They accused the government of turning a blind eye to citizens' concerns, drawing people to the protest site from Monday morning in solidarity with the movement's demands.

Many leaders from Opposition political parties also joined the protest. Red caps of the Samajwadi Party and blue flags of the Azad Samaj Party, a party led by Chandrashekhar Azad, both from Uttar Pradesh, were also visible as the state is set to go to Assembly elections in 2027.

According to Opposition leaders, the protests have opened up a wider discourse against the BJP-led government, which may direct more voters towards the Opposition bloc, as the CJP does not have any political formation. "Even if they like the CJP or its movement, they can't vote for it. The protest is issue-based, and the more the protest, the greater the anger against the government and the greater the multiplier effect on the ground," a political leader said. "This discourse is going to help the Opposition political parties, for they have the organisational structure to tap into dissent electorally."

Although the protests have been sabotaged by the government, the sentiment among the people may perhaps drive a prolonged anti-government movement.

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