Dharmendra Pradhan resigns: Kejri says ‘big victory’, notes Tharoor, ‘responsibility doesn’t end with resignation’ | Today’s news

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday resigned from his post over the NEET paper leak row, saying it was not about “individual prestige” for him.

Pradhan said he was disturbed by the series of events that took place in the last 10 days and submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“From day one, I took responsibility for the NEET paper leak,” he said.

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Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over the NEET paper leak controversy, saying he wanted to prevent students’ futures from getting entangled in legal complexities.

Political leaders like Arvind Kejriwal hailed it as a victory for democracy, while others like Kunal Ghosh stressed that it should have happened earlier to address students’ concerns.

The protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, demanded Pradhan’s accountability for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and sought broader reforms in the public examination.

Yes, Pradhan admitted taking responsibility for the NEET paper leak situation from the very beginning before announcing his resignation.

After discovering the irregularities, the government immediately canceled the NEET exam, handed over the investigation to the CBI and announced a re-examination date.

He also said that anti-national forces should not be allowed to exploit the situation in Jantar Mantar and across the country.

Pradhan’s resignation comes amid protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party at Jantar Mantar demanding his accountability for the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities in CBSE’s on-screen marking process, as well as seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.

Here’s how various political leaders are reacting to the news:

Abhijeet Dipke, founder president of Cockroach Janta Party, says, “There is no need to worry. This is democracy. He has resigned, but we have two more demands. We will not go like this. Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned.”

“But the families of the children who committed suicide should get one million rupees compensation. They should get it. One million rupees compensation to all those families. And secondly, these police rascals who acted on the 20th. Action should be taken against the policemen for that. Remember, don’t play with cockroaches…”

Kunal Ghosh, TMC MLA says, “He should have done it earlier… BJP tried to protect him. This is a victory for the people and students who protested… This is a victory for the entire country…”

P Chidambaram, a senior Congress leader, wrote on X: “Just heard the news that the Union Education Minister has resigned. I welcome the resignation. I hope it calms the situation and paves the way for discussion on fundamental issues in and outside Parliament.”

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, a Congress leader, says, “Better late than never. It should have come earlier. It would not have caused so much damage. The young generation across the country has lost faith in exams, so the whole system should be changed. A new system should be introduced… The demand for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Education Minister came not only from the Congress but from the entire country…”

Arvind Kejriwal, AAP National Convenor says, “Congratulations to all of you. Congratulations to the youth of our country. It is a matter of great joy that your struggle has borne fruit. Dharmendra Pradhan finally had to step down. It is a big victory for our democracy. People in our country started losing faith in democracy even before the government. They felt that the governments would raise their hands and not listen, but the people would never listen to them. He listened.”

Telangana Congress President B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Saturday said the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was a result of the struggle of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other parties.

Pradhan’s resignation is a victory for students, he said in a statement.

Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday over the NEET paper leak controversy, saying it was not a matter of “individual prestige” for him.

Shashi Tharoor, a senior Congress leader, says the education minister’s resignation is a recognition that responsibility in a democracy cannot be shirked indefinitely. It comes after weeks of determined, peaceful voices from students, parents and citizens across the country that refused to be ignored.

It also comes after too many young Indians have faced unnecessary police brutality and force for exercising their democratic right to peacefully protest. This should apply to every citizen regardless of political affiliation.

But the responsibility does not end with resignation. The deeper failures that brought us here now need to be addressed through transparent reforms, institutional accountability and a commitment to ensure that no young Indian’s future is jeopardized again.

The students who marched, spoke out, and peacefully persevered deserve to know that this is the beginning of reform, not the end of the story.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk tweets: “It’s a victory for democracy, direct democracy straight from the streets. It’s a victory for peace, patience and perseverance.”

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says, “I am a very happy person today because the youth of our country have spoken and no one will ever dare to silence their voices.