‘Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad’: Former Union Education Minister Receives Hero’s Welcome In Parliament | Watch the video | Today’s news
Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan received a warm welcome from BJP and NDA MPs in Parliament on Monday, two days after he resigned amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities related to the NEET examination.
Pradhan, an MP from Orissa, was welcomed by party colleagues when he arrived at the Parliament complex. He got out of the car, smiled, clasped his hands in namaste and walked past jubilant MPs who were raising slogans of “Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad”.
Several BJP MPs gathered at the Makar Dwar entrance before his arrival and escorted him to Parliament. In a symbolic show of solidarity, according to the ANI video, they presented him with a traditional cap and draped a ceremonial scarf over his shoulders.
Pradhan resigned following a protest led by the CJP
Pradhan resigned as education minister on Saturday after weeks of student protests over alleged irregularities in the National Entrance Test (NEET). Demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) intensified across the country, with protesters making his resignation a key demand.
Announcing his decision on X, Pradhan said he had tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It pains me to see the events of the last 10 days. It is not a matter of personal prestige for me,” he wrote.
“The youth power of India is the real power of this nation. My resolve is that we will not let the youth of the country be trapped in a vicious circle of confusion,” he added, stepping down to prevent “anti-national forces” from abusing the situation.
His resignation came shortly before the third round of negotiations between the Center and the CJP. After the meeting, the student group announced that the government had accepted all its demands and called off its month-long protest.
Congress slams BJP to celebrate
While the ruling alliance rallied behind Pradhan, opposition parties criticized the BJP’s celebration.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury likened the welcome to receiving the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case after their release in 2022.
“They did the same with Bilkis Bano thugs. It is their custom,” she told PTI.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders led by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra staged a protest inside the Parliament complex over the alleged use of excessive force against student protesters.
The MPs raised slogans of “Shiksha Chori” (theft of education) and demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologize for what they termed police brutality during the “Sansad Chalo” march on July 20 and demanded withdrawal of criminal cases registered against student protesters.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav were among those who joined the demonstration.
