Time to remove this government: Rahul Gandhi says, “Don’t worry!” as Dharmendra Pradhan resigns | Today’s news
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacted to Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. “Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is a huge step towards reshaping our education system. Well done to students across the country, we are proud of you all,” Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday (July 25).
“I heartily congratulate every young person, every student who took to the streets and stood firm to protect democracy, the constitution and their future.” the congressman added.
The Amethi MP, who is a touchstone, recalled: “Two demands still remain – the Prime Minister should apologize while respecting the students and the future of India, and action should be taken against those guilty of violence against students.”
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Dharmendra Pradhan resigned to address student protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and to prevent the situation from being misused by “anti-national forces”.
Hailing the resignation as a major step towards reforming the education system, Rahul Gandhi expressed pride in the students for standing firm in defending democracy and their future.
The students are demanding an apology from the prime minister for the government’s actions against them and accountability for police brutality during the protests, along with wider reforms in the education system.
The Congress party hailed the resignation as a victory for India’s youth, saying it demonstrated the power of student activism and their push for accountability in the education sector.
Emphasizing that while Pradhan’s resignation is a victory, the broader struggle for justice and reform for students continues, Rahul Gandhi noted that the prime minister’s apology and action against the police responsible for the violence were still needed.
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“For the rest of society—the farmers, the workers, the poor, every person who has been oppressed and crushed by this government—the real courage lies in standing firm in a constitutional way for their dignity. The time has come to remove this government.” Rahul Gandhi posted on X (formerly Twitter)
Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday (July 25), saying he submitted it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities are not misused by “anti-national forces”.
The resignation follows weeks of nationwide protests over alleged exam irregularities, with students demanding more transparency, accountability and reforms in the exam system.
Congress calls resignation “victory of youth”, demands apology from Prime Minister
The Indian National Congress was quick to claim the moment as a vindication of its own campaign, describing the resignation as a defining victory for the country’s young generation.
In a post on its official account, the X Party wrote: “Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is a victory for the youth, a victory for India’s General Z. This victory belongs to those millions of young people across the country who raised their voices to fix the education system. Faced with the truth of the youth, Narendra Modi’s arrogance has been defeated and his lies have been defeated.”
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The party credited Gandhi with keeping the paper leak issue alive since it was first revealed, following his advocacy from public demonstrations to Parliament. “The youth forced the incompetent and corrupt education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign. Since the first day of the NEET paper leak, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party have been fighting, from the streets to the parliament, to ensure justice for the youth. This fight will continue until the education system is reformed,” the party said.
The Congress also renewed its demand for an apology for the police response to the protesters at Jantar Mantar on 20 July. “Narendra Modi will have to apologize for ordering the use of lathis on our youth and the gun attacks,” the post read.
The Youth Congress calls it the “First Victory” but warns that the fight is not over
The party’s youth wing, the Indian Youth Congress, echoed the view that Pradhan’s exit marked only the opening success, not the conclusion. IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib credited the students’ sustained pressure and Gandhi’s continued defense of the result. “This is the first victory of youth and student struggle in the country. Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is the power of youth voice,” Chib said.
Read also | Dharmendra Pradhan resigns as Union Education Minister
He was clear, however, that the wider goals of the movement remained unfulfilled. “Pradhan’s resignation is a handful of dust in the eyes. Until the Prime Minister apologizes to the youth of the country, Amit Shah resigns for ordering the lathi charge of students and action is taken against the police officers responsible, this Gen Z movement will not be victorious,” Chib said.
Pradhan’s resignation followed weeks of nationwide protest
Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on Saturday, saying he submitted it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to prevent the ongoing protests over examination irregularities from being exploited by what he called “anti-national forces”.
The move follows weeks of nationwide demonstrations over alleged irregularities in competitive exams, with students demanding greater transparency, accountability and fundamental and sector-wide reform of the exam system.
