Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das | The three faces of a revolt

Three individuals, Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das, have become symbolic leaders of a student protest movement that led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This explanation of the movement's success is both simple and empowering, yet it is incomplete. The origin of the movement dates back to May 15, 2026, when Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made remarks comparing unemployed youth taking up activism and social media to "cockroaches," which sparked widespread backlash.

Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old student from Boston, launched a satirical online platform to counter the insult, turning it into a rallying cry for disaffected youth. Within 24 hours, the platform gathered 50,000 sign-ups, growing to over a million within a week. The movement's Instagram account rapidly amassed more than 22 million followers.

Behind the viral posts, soaring numbers, and colorful symbolism, lay the trio of leaders: Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka, and Saurav Das. These individuals, hailing from different parts of the country and possessing diverse backgrounds and temperaments, worked in sync to drive the movement forward.

Dipke, the emotional and politically intuitive heart of the movement, quickly escalated demands after activist Sonam Wangchuk was removed from Jantar Mantar. He proposed demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, introducing a bold new agenda. Ranka, the decisive strategist, often lost his temper but remained the mind of the movement.

Das, the youngest and youngest spokesman, brought an affable demeanor and outreach skills to the group. Their shared connection to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) further strengthened their collective influence, with Dipke and Ranka having worked for the party, and Das's ties to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Born in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra, Dipke's caste identity played a lesser role during the protest, but he asserted it publicly when ink was thrown at him at Jantar Mantar. Das, a journalist by profession, understood the workings of newsrooms and narrative shaping, helping keep the movement in the headlines. Ranka, the movement's strategist, had a background in international policy and activism, having worked with various organizations and campaigned for the Delhi Assembly election.