SAMBALPUR, ODISHA: Senior BJP leader and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said he decided to step down as Union Education Minister after attempts were allegedly made to “mislead” Gen Z during protests over the NEET paper leak controversy.
Pradhan made the remarks while addressing students and teachers at GM University in Sambalpur, exactly two weeks after his resignation amid large-scale protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi over alleged irregularities surrounding the medical entrance examination.
Pradhan Says He Offered to Resign to PM Modi
Breaking his silence on his resignation, Pradhan said he had personally approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign from the Union Council of Ministers.
“Gen Z is our children. Some people attempted to mislead them. I had no personal issues then,” Pradhan said while explaining his decision.
He emphasized that holding a ministerial position was not his priority, arguing that India’s young population represents the country’s future.
“At least two crore children are born in India every year. During the last 10 years, 20 crore children were born. They have aspirations, and they will make India the ‘Vishwa Guru’. The post was not important to me,” he said.
Pradhan formally resigned from the Union Education Ministry on July 25, following intense political and public pressure over the examination controversy.
Political Clash With Naveen Patnaik
During another public meeting in Rairakhol, Pradhan also responded strongly to criticism from former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik.
The BJP leader said he was not intimidated by protests organized by BJD workers, including demonstrations in which protesters raised slogans such as “Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back.”
Referring to a protest by the BJD’s youth and student wings near an airport, Pradhan said he remained committed to returning to his constituency despite such opposition.
“I am a farmer’s son. Even if you tell me to go back, I will come back,” he said.
Pradhan also referred to criticism from Patnaik, who he said had described him as a “disgrace to the people of Odisha” and a bad person.
“Have I ever done anything that will shame the people of Odisha?” Pradhan asked the gathering.
The audience responded with a loud “No.”
Pradhan then said that although he might not have brought laurels to Odisha, he had never intentionally done anything that would tarnish the state’s reputation.
“I will never do any work which will tarnish the state’s reputation,” he said.
Says He Became Union Minister With Blessings of Odisha Deities
Pradhan also invoked Odisha’s religious and cultural traditions while discussing his political journey.
He said he became a Union minister 12 years ago with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur.
His remarks against Patnaik were delivered from a stage that also included BJD MLA and deputy leader in the Odisha Assembly Prasanna Acharya.
Pradhan said he had consulted Acharya before attending the event because of the political protests organized by the BJD.
“Keeping in view the BJD’s protests, I had consulted Prasanna Bhai whether I should go. Prasanna Babu told me to come and assured me that I would be welcomed. I came here after taking his permission,” Pradhan said.
BJD Hits Back at Pradhan
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) responded sharply to Pradhan’s remarks.
Rohit Pujari, BJD’s Sambalpur district president and a former minister, rejected Pradhan’s suggestion that Naveen Patnaik was responsible for damaging his reputation.
Pujari argued that Pradhan had faced criticism because of the government’s handling of the student protests, rather than because of any campaign by Patnaik.
“Nobody had defamed Pradhan. His party and government have defamed him by police resorting to lathi-charge, tear gas and atrocities during the peaceful student agitation at Jantar Mantar,” Pujari alleged.
He said Pradhan was facing public criticism because of those incidents and questioned why the former Odisha chief minister would be blamed for alleged police excesses.
BJD Leader Raises Allegations Over Student Crisis
Pujari also made strong allegations concerning the broader impact of the examination controversy.
“Why would Patnaik want to defame him? The whole country knows that 21 children died by suicide because of him,” Pujari claimed.
He further alleged that of the approximately 22 lakh students who appeared for the examination, around 21 lakh students could be experiencing depression.
These claims were made by the BJD leader as part of the political criticism surrounding the examination controversy. The allegations reflect the continuing dispute between the BJP and BJD over responsibility for the handling of the student protests and the examination-related controversy.
Pujari maintained that it was the “wrong policy” of the BJP government that had brought criticism upon Pradhan.
Police Detain BJD Workers as Precaution
Meanwhile, sources said Sambalpur police detained around 30 BJD workers as a precautionary measure.
The detentions reportedly came amid concerns that the BJD’s youth and student wings could organize protests during Pradhan’s visit.
The latest developments highlight the continuing political fallout from the NEET examination controversy, with the issue becoming a major point of confrontation between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.
Pradhan’s comments also mark one of his most direct explanations of his decision to resign from the Education Ministry, as political debate continues over the government’s handling of the examination controversy and the protests by students.
