Claim: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi resigned and approved the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in July 2026.
Fact: The claim is false. Narendra Modi has not resigned and the 18th Lok Sabha remains in session.
In late July 2026, a Facebook page called Sky News Urdu Pakistan shared a reel falsely claiming that Indian PM Narendra Modi had resigned and approved the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
A Facebook reel falsely claims that Narendra Modi resigned as India’s prime minister and approved the dissolution of the Lok Sabha.
The anchor in the video, reporting in Urdu, alleged that protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party and tens of millions of students had forced Modi from office. It attributed the claims to Indian media but did not identify any particular news report or organisation as its source.
The reel’s caption stated, “Narendra Modi resigns from office, reports Indian media. Goodbye Modi. The journey that began with selling tea comes to an end.”
Student protests in India
On 9 July, founder of the initially satirical, youth-led group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Abhijeet Dipke, announced a march to the parliament in New Delhi, India on 20 July. Dipke founded CJP in May this year in response to India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant’s comments that likened young people to “cockroaches” who don’t get any employment.
His announcement came after India’s biggest exam, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for medical colleges, which was taken by nearly 2 million students on 3 May, was cancelled after it was leaked. Students had to retake the test on 21 June amid tight security.
However, the announcement of the first test’s cancellation caused significant distress to several students. Publications like Indian Express and Reuters reported 12 students died by suicide whereas BBC quoted an “alleged number” of 20.
CJP staged its first protest at Jantar Mantar on 6 June, demanding the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Hundreds of students camped out at the site over the past month. However, their movement gained attention after Indian activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk went on a hunger strike on 28 June, demanding Pradhan’s resignation.
After 20 days of his strike, Wangchuk was forcibly taken to the hospital on 18 July. His wife, Gitanjali J Angmo later took to her X account and wrote: “I am at Safdarjung hospital in Delhi where @Wangchuk66 has been admitted. Nothing should be administered to him orally or intravenous without take consent from me, his family and his doctors who have been monitoring his health for the past 20 days.”
Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo posted a statement on X on 18 July 2026.
On 20 July, thousands of students marched towards the parliament where they clashed with the police who tried to stop them from breaching the security of the areas. Videos posted on CJP’s Instagram account show people running through tear gas and officers using batons on the demonstrators.
Al Jazeera quoted Delhi Police as saying that 60 protesters along with 118 security and police personnel were injured in the clashes. They also said 70 people have been detained and “legal action” will be taken against them.
On 23 July, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on the protests by posting on X. In his statement, he ensured “stringent punishment” for those involved in paper leaks.
Indian PM Narendra Modi’s X post on 23 July 2026.
Later, on the same day, he posted a video message on his X feed saying that his officials have prepared a draft detailing “provisions for fast-track courts and stringent punishment”. He assured that it will be discussed in the cabinet on 24 July, and a bill will be introduced and passed as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Wangchuk also ended his hunger strike after 26 days on the night of 23 July. In a video message from the hospital, the activist stated that he has been assured that the issue of paper leaks will be discussed in the parliament, families of the students who died by suicide will be given adequate compensation, and people who took part in the New Delhi protests won’t be detained.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke’s X post on 24 July 2026
On 25 July, Pradhan resigned and shared his statement in Hindi on social media. “Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation … I have sent my resignation letter to the prime minister,” an excerpt from his statement read.
Videos on CJP’s social media showed hundreds of protesters on Jantar Mantar celebrating their victory. Later, on the same day, CJP announced they are withdrawing nationwide protests as all of their demands have been accepted by the government.
CJP lists its demands that have been accepted by the government on 25 July 2026.
Fact or Fiction?
The claim is false. Official records show that Narendra Modi is still the prime minister. However, Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned as the education minister. The 18th Lok Sabha also remains in session and continues to pass legislation.
A press communique issued by the President of India on 25 July 2026 states that President Droupadi Murmu, acting on the prime minister’s advice, accepted Pradhan’s resignation from the Union Council of Ministers with immediate effect. It also states that Pralhad Joshi was assigned additional charge of the Ministry of Education.
The President of India’s press communique records Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation and the assignment of the education portfolio to Pralhad Joshi on 25 July 2026.
The communique identifies Pradhan as the minister who resigned. An official list of the Union Council of Ministers, updated as of 25 July 2026, names Narendra Modi as the prime minister and lists Pralhad Joshi as Minister of Education. These records document the ministerial change following Pradhan’s resignation while retaining Modi as the head of government.
Subsequent updates published on the official ‘PM India’ website show Modi continuing to perform the duties of prime minister. On 30 July, he chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review developments related to the conflict in West Asia. The same day, he met members of the parliament from Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland to discuss flooding in both states.
Narendra Modi posted about chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on 30 July 2026.
On 31 July, the PM’s office announced that Modi would visit Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka on 1 August to inaugurate an airport, launch development projects, and attend other official events. The announcement again identified him as the Prime Minister of India.
The second claim, that Modi approved the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, is also false. Article 85(2)(b) of the Constitution of India states that the president may dissolve the House of the People, commonly known as the Lok Sabha. However, the video in the claim did not provide any presidential order or official record showing that the Lok Sabha had been dissolved.
Official parliamentary records instead show that the 18th Lok Sabha remained in session. Digital Sansad, the official online portal of India’s Parliament, identifies the proceedings as the eighth session of the 18th Lok Sabha, running from 20 July to 13 August 2026.
The House also continued conducting legislative business. The Press Information Bureau of India reported that the Lok Sabha passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 on 29 July, four days after Pradhan resigned. Therefore, the Lok Sabha’s continuing legislative activity directly contradicts the claim that it has been dissolved.
Reporting by Reuters and NDTV corroborates the official records. NDTV reported that Pradhan submitted his resignation to Modi, while Reuters described the development as the education minister’s resignation from Modi’s government.
The resignation recorded on 25 July was, therefore, Pradhan’s. Modi remains India’s prime minister, and the 18th Lok Sabha continues to function.
Virality
The false claim circulated on Facebook and Instagram, while the same video was also posted on TikTok. Soch Fact Check identified at least eleven posts that regurgitated the false claim. As of 31 July 2026, their visible engagement has amounted to approximately 4,700 reactions or likes, 159 comments, and at least 1,695 shares or reposts.
The Sky News Urdu Pakistan Facebook reel accounted for most of the engagement, receiving approximately 3,600 reactions, 137 comments, and 976 shares. Another Facebook reel received 194 reactions, six comments, and 716 shares, while a separate upload received 401 reactions, seven comments, and 11,000 views.
The Instagram copy received 404 likes, eight comments, and three reposts.
Conclusion: The claim is false. Official records show that Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister on 25 July 2026, while Modi remained prime minister. The 18th Lok Sabha remains in session.
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