Protesters at Jantar Mantar celebrate news of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation
NEW DELHI: Dharmendra Pradhan, who earned his early spurs by leading a protest against a Class 12 question paper leak in Odisha in 1996 as an ABVP national secretary, was forced to resign Saturday as Union education minister, in the face of unrelenting protests fuelled by students’ anger over NEET-UG paper leak.Govt conceded to the key demand of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the opposition as Pradhan sent his resignation to PM Modi, in an unprecedented ouster of a cabinet minister of his govt for over 12 years, marking a political setback to BJP and a rare boost for its rivals.Five-time Karnataka MP and Union minister Pralhad Joshi, who holds several other portfolios, has been given additional charge of education.Jubilant CJP members, led by its founder Abhijeet Dipke, called off their agitation after a third round of talks with Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
CJP Jantar Mantar Protest Updates
“Democracy wins,” CJP said on X.CJP spokesperson Saurav Das announced withdrawal of protests with immediate effect at a news conference, where both ministers wore a resigned look. Govt has also agreed to provide “honourable” compensation to families of NEET candidates who died by suicide and withdraw FIRs against protesting students in Delhi and other BJP-governed states, he added.The two sides will again meet after four weeks to work on broader reforms in the exam system, CJP said. In a two-page statement, Pradhan said he has quit so that “anti-national forces do not take advantage of the situation” at Jantar Mantar and across the country”. It is not a matter of personal prestige, he said.His statement was addressed to “my young friends”, a nod to Gen Z, who have been the face of CJP-led protests, and left the all-powerful BJP searching for answers to their unconventional onslaught. A govt functionary said largescale participation of youth gave the campaign, which BJP initially saw as sponsored by AAP and Left-aligned groups, an emotive undercurrent, leaving them little choice but to retreat as the protest grew.
Why BJP chose to cut its losses
For a party which rarely makes any concession to rivals on their terms and exudes an air of bold strength rooted in popular endorsement in polls, BJP’s decision to bow to the student protest also reflects the pragmatism it has shown when confronted with street agitation — better to cut losses than let the pain fester into a more serious challenge.In Nov 2021, Modi had announced withdrawal of farm laws in the face of over a yearlong protest by farmers, which was largely confined to Punjab and parts of Haryana and western UP but had remained stubborn. The PM, too, had ascribed the decision to national interest, which observers thought was a reference to the sensitivity of Punjab as a border state.Pradhan’s mention of the stir at Jantar Mantar but no acknowledgement of Congressled opposition’s protest, which has kept Parliament’s monsoon session deadlocked, is seemingly aimed at denying any credit to BJP’s political rivals while conceding to CJP, which is not really an electoral threat.With Rahul Gandhi, too, stepping up his agitation— his surprise demonstration outside Modi’s residence on July 21 was a highlight — so as not to allow CJP, seen closer to its ‘secular’ rival AAP, hog the limelight, Congress is bound to lay claim to the credit. However, BJP has more often than not seen off its challenge without much political damage.There was sympathy in the ranks for Pradhan who, as petroleum minister, rolled out the vote-spinner Ujjwala scheme and stayed engaged with the cadre. He had a stream of visitors — home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman included.“We had to swallow the bitter pill because there was a real risk of violence breaking out. Any loss of lives would have been blamed on us. Moreover, it was about students and their families,” said a senior minister.The sense of resignation was accompanied by surprise as to why the leadership did not take measures it subsequently took to tackle the discontent: strengthening of the law against paper leaks, eviction of key bureaucrats from education ministry, drastic action against NTA officials, and Pradhan’s resignation.In his statement, Pradhan, 57, who took charge of education ministry in July 2021, emphasised his decades-long commitment to students and education, and said he took responsibility of the fallout of the NEET-UG paper leak from the very first day.The re-exam result was declared on time, and many poor meritorious students made the cut, he said, while blaming those in responsible positions, alikely swipe at Rahul and other key opposition figures, for trying to mislead students.The BJP brass expressed its full backing for Pradhan, a deft politician who has been the choice of Modi and Shah in helming numerous state elections, as he stepped down. BJP president Nitin Nabin credited him for key reforms and lauded him for prioritising larger interests, in keeping with “the highest standards of integrity and selfless service in public life”. Go to Source
