Public anger over repeated exam paper leaks and the month-long Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has spilled over onto his daughter, Naimisha Pradhan. After facing intense trolling over her Tufts University LLM and questions about her studying abroad while her father heads India’s education system, she deactivated her Instagram account amid the escalating backlash.
PUBLIC ANGER AGAINST Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan have been escalating ever since a series of exam paper leaks happened in the nation and the ensuing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) led protest that demands his resignation and accountability. Amidst the growing sentiments, the internet has found a new target to direct their anger towards — Naimisha Pradhan, Dharmendra Pradhan’s daughter.
The CJP-led protest has been ongoing for over a month now. As the youth-led movement gained momentum, the Education Minister's daughter came under the internet's scrutiny. Naimisha Pradhan had pursued her Master of Laws degree from Tufts University in the United States.
The online backlash against Naimisha Pradhan increased after the CJP’s “Chalo Sansad March,” held on Monday, July 20, 2026, took a violent turn as instances of police brutality against the protesters emerged. In the aftermath of the protest, protesters started an online campaign against Naimisha Pradhan and started leaving comments under her Instagram posts’ asking why she decided to pursue her education abroad, considering her father leads the education system in India.
See also: NEET AIR 2 Panshul Bansal Responds to CJP Protest: ‘Why Protest When I Can Study?’
Social media users questioned her decision, remarking that it reflects the lack of trust in the Indian education system. One user, referring to the students who committed suicide after the NEET paper leak, wrote that as Dharmendra’s Pradhan is responsible for the students’s death, Naimisha Pradhan’s education abroad was funded with “blood money.”
Another user taunted Naimisha Pradhan to come back to India and
“study in the education system headed by her commendable father.”
Some users have come to Naimisha’s aid, condemning the backlash against a person who does not hold a public office and holds no accountability. They argued that political criticism should remain focused on elected representatives and policymakers, and not towards their family members.
As of now, Naimisha Pradhan’s Instagram account no longer exists and has been deactivated.
The online backlash against Naimisha Pradhan didn't stop at her personal social media accounts. Users also started leaving comments on Tufts’s University's, her alma mater, social media accounts as well questioning her education abroad and urging the university to take action against her.
Naimisha Pradhan completed her Master of Laws (LLM) from The Fletcher School at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, United States, in 2023. After her graduation, she joined the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) as a Senior Associate, as per her LinkedIn account which also is now seemingly deactivated.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Priyank Gandhi and others, staged a protest outside the Prime Minister's residence to demand answers for the brutalities against young students during the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar. In response, Dhamendra Pradhan accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party of “shamelessly exploiting students as a political tool” and inconveniencing the public.
In a statement posted on his X handle, Pradhan stated the government is committed to discuss the NEET paper issue and to address the youth’s concerns in the Parliament.
(Proofread by Anshika Verma)
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