New Delhi: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned as the Education Minister, ending weeks of political pressure over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) had been staging a protest at Jantar Mantar for the past 36 days, demanding his resignation.
Shortly after the resignation, the Centre assigned the additional charge of the Ministry of Education to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who currently holds the portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.
Following the development, CJP founder Abhijeet Deepake addressed supporters at Jantar Mantar, saying, “People used to say ministers in this government never resign, but the world bends when there is enough determination.”
Pradhan also released a two-page resignation letter, in which he defended his tenure while stating that attempts had been made to mislead the country’s youth over the controversy.
Pradhan is the first Union minister in the Narendra Modi government since 2014 to resign following sustained public protests. The last minister to resign from the Union Council of Ministers was M.J. Akbar in 2018, after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced during the #MeToo movement.
Earlier in the day, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, speaking at an event in Delhi, said governments should engage with the younger generation through dialogue rather than authority.
“Today’s youth ask many questions. Instead of issuing orders, we should explain the reasoning behind decisions and guide them through dialogue,” Bhagwat said.
His remarks came hours before Pradhan submitted his resignation.
