The country-wide protests led by youth or “cockroaches” have forced Dharmendra Pradhan to finally resign as the Union minister. It marks the first resignation of a minister under widespread public pressure since the Modi-government came into power in 2014. It is also one of the very few instances when the Modi government has been held accountable, even if Pradhan’s resignation letter does not showcase an ounce of accountability. What do these events which transpired at Jantar Mantar, eventually garnering support from different corners of the country, mean for the kind of democracy India projects itself to be? The V-Dem Institute has classified India as an electoral autocracy since 2017. In the V-Dem Democracy Report 2026, India’s latest electoral democracy index score (0.38) is the same as its 1976 score from the infamous emergency period. What are we still missing?The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protesters are rejoicing the resignation of Pradhan. But are we missing something? Is Pradhan’s resignation, which came after more than 50 days of protests, a parameter for accountability, not to mention that the resignation letter has not for once mentioned ‘paper leaks’ or ‘student suicides’. The resignation in itself does not discharge the government of its accountability in the matter but rather is merely a ‘step’ towards accountability. These protests were a significant reminder for the government that it cannot game its people for long. The government did everything it could to demobilise the protestors at Jantar Mantar as well as in different states where students were protesting against paper leaks and calling for educational reforms. Many have applauded the resilience of the so-called ‘laidback-callous’ Gen Zs who defied the government and refused to submit despite the police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) resorting to lathi charge, tear gas, and even pellet guns on July 20. The government’s usual strategies of suppressing protests or dissent did not work this time. It could not ignore the Gen Z protestors, it could not impose any narrative against them, and it could not threaten them. The CJP, on several occasions, requested the protestors to use ‘positive slogans’. Their argument was that any negative slogans or political framing could provide the government an opportunity to weaken the protests.Also read: Good Politics and Bad Politics in Education: How the CJP Protest Got it RightEven though the protests at Jantar Mantar have phased out for now and changed course, the country continues to witness the state’s systemic apathy towards protests led by tribals, farmers, and other marginalised communities. The Dalit farmers in Andhra Pradesh have been protesting against the proposed data centre project, the Ken-Betwa Link project has seen numerous tribal communities and farmers protesting for fair compensation over months; the loss of land, forced displacement and inadequate compensation have stripped these marginalised communities of not just their rights or what is rightfully theirs but also of their social dignity and access to demand accountability from the government. These marginalised communities — who have lost their lands, livelihoods, and housing — are laying themselves on pyres and climbing gallows just to be heard. Jal satyagrahas, Chita Andolan, Faansi Satyagrahas and what not, they are fighting tooth and nail to preserve their ancestral lands, their forests, and their ‘identity’. Will they ever be heard? Will they ever be compensated? Protesters have alleged that not all families affected by these projects have been included and instead many fake beneficiaries have been added. What more will it take for the government to listen to their seemingly fair demands?Dissent is Political. Uphold itWe cannot forget that dissent is political, questioning the government is political, the government’s conduct is political, and not politicising governmental accountability in a democratic state defeats the soul of a democratic republic. In fact, though the CJP tried its best to de-politicise the protests, multiple reports claim that Muslim protestors across the country are now being targeted despite the Union government’s assurance of ‘no action against protestors’. It appears that Muslims are not safe even in near-perfect protests. Some people did not support the protests even when they sympathised with the cause, because they believed that the opposition parties were using the students for their agenda, the protesters were raising slogans or making comments unrelated to the issue at hand, and the protests were not ‘perfect’.Also read: ‘Since When is an Elected Representative Above Questioning,’ Asks CJP as Delhi Police Asks X to Take Down Posts Targeting Govt HeadsIs that not what opposition parties are for? In a working democracy, opposition parties have the freedom to manufacture opportunities to gain political power. They generally do so by capitalising the failures of the ruling party and showing the public how they will do things differently. Protesters do not have a singular identity. Such mass-public protests provide the public an opportunity to remind the government of its other failures, ignorance, and incompetencies. To quote Dushyant Kumar, ‘Rakt varshon se nason mein kholalta hai, aap kehte hain kshanik uttejana hai’ (Our blood has been boiling in our veins for years; and you call it a momentary surge of emotion). Protests by their nature are meant to make the authorities (and to an extent, non-participating individuals) uncomfortable. Uncomfortableness does not by default make such protests undemocratic or illegal.Has there even been a ‘perfect’ protest? As the NEET paper leak protests have paused, let us not assume that the government has been accountable, that the government has heard its people, equitably, and that the government has acted responsibly. Governmental accountability should neither be selective nor performative. Every protest is political, and that should not be a reason to ignore or dismantle it. Ashwani Kumar Singh and Abhinandita Biswas are assistant professors (Law) at Vinayaka Mission’s Law School, VMRF (DU), Chennai.