During his ministership, the 2006 protests took place in Hungary, which were a series of anti-government protests triggered by the release of Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's private speech in which he confessed that his Hungarian Socialist Party had lied to win the 2006 election, and had done nothing worth mentioning in the previous four years of governing.
After the siege of the Magyar Televízió building (18 September 2006), Petrétei resigned but Gyurcsány disclaimed his decision.
Gyurcsány said the move is intended to restore public confidence in Hungary's police and justice systems.
News stories attribute the move to recent police scandals and the cloud cast by the disproportionate use of force during the 2006 anti-government demonstrations.
[2] Later, in 2010, Petrétei said before the parliamentary sub-committee which investigated alleged contraventions, police crimes or maladministration during the 2006 protests that he did not give instructions to the policemen and he saw the Budapest riots and the MTV siege at his home on 18–19 September.