Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation Memes Galore
25 July 2026 8:11 PM IST25 July 2026 8:11 PM IST
Student protesters blended serious demonstrations with internet culture, creating memes that appeared both on the streets and across social media.
Representational Image
As Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, social media flooded with memes. But for Gen Z, memes were not just a reaction to the resignation. They had been a part of the movement from the very beginning.
Throughout the month-long protest, students turned social media into an extension of the protest site. Protest videos, updates, slogans and livestreams existed alongside memes, celebratory edits and Facetious reactions.
The Gen Z-led protest became powerful because students used memes, humour, reels, songs and internet trends instead of only speeches and slogans. This made the protest easy to understand, easy to share and highly relatable, especially among young people.
These memes were not just jokes. They became a form of dissent against those in power. Instead of long speeches, students used humour, sarcasm and popular internet trends to express their anger against the system.
By mixing humour with serious issues, Gen Z showed that protest does not always have to be loud or confrontational. It can also be creative, peaceful and powerful. Rather than replacing demonstrations, memes expanded the protest into digital spaces, turning social media into a platform for public discussion and resistance.
As news of the resignation broke, social media was once again flooded with memes. Netizens recreated popular Bollywood scenes, replacing dialogues with reactions to the minister's exit. Another category featured dramatic "mission accomplished" memes, while protest videos from Jantar Mantar were edited with victory music and confetti animations. Several videos also showed students celebrating after the announcement of the resignation.
Among the biggest social media trends was the viral phrase, "Sonam, it's done, bro."
The phrase originated from actor Salman Khan's post, in which he referred to the Prime Minister's statement on the alleged paper leak and urged protesting students to return home. Addressing activist Sonam Wangchuk, he wrote, "Sonam, it's done, bro," asking him not to extend his hunger strike unless necessary.
He wrote, "The students are at top priority, educationally and security-wise, so they need not worry and have their parents worried for them. The Honorable Prime Minister has tweeted, and I am sure that he will take strict action against all those people who are responsible for this leak. So students, plz go back to your parents n homes."
He added, "Sonam, it's done, bro. Don't extend this. Keep the spirit for another day if there be a need, which I doubt, n eat something. If u want, will send u food from home."
Throughout the student protest against the paper leaks and irregularities in competitive examinations, humour remained one of its defining features. Student protesters blended serious demonstrations with internet culture, creating memes that appeared both on the streets and across social media. They also created reels, parody songs, dance videos and viral one-liners that spread almost as quickly as protest updates from the ground.
Pradhan stepped down following weeks of nationwide protests led by the satirical group called Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that emerged over the alleged exam leak controversy and demanded accountability from the education ministry. His resignation marked one of the biggest developments since the protests began.
For a generation raised online, the meme was not a distraction from the movement. It became one of its most powerful languages. If earlier protests were remembered for their slogans and placards, this one will also be remembered for its reels, memes and viral catchphrases that carried dissent far beyond the protest sites.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
Next Story