Bhubaneswar:
Dharmendra Pradhan, a prominent BJP leader and the Member of Parliament for Sambalpur, stated on Saturday that his resignation as Union Education Minister was prompted by attempts to “mislead” Generation Z during the protests surrounding the NEET paper leak controversy.
Pradhan addressed students and faculty at GM University in Bhubaneswar, publicly commenting on his resignation exactly two weeks after stepping down amidst widespread demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the issue.
“Generation Z represents our youth. Certain factions endeavored to misguide them. My decision was not driven by personal considerations. Annually, approximately two crore children are born in India. Over the past decade, this figure reaches 20 crore. These young individuals harbor significant aspirations, and they are poised to elevate India to the status of ‘Vishwa Guru’ (global leader). The ministerial position itself held no paramount importance for me,” Pradhan articulated.
He further disclosed that he had personally approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tender his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers.
Pradhan officially resigned from the ministry on July 25.
During a separate engagement in Rairakhol, Pradhan critiqued former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, asserting that he remained unperturbed by protests from BJD workers and their calls for him to “go back.”
Referencing a protest near the airport by BJD youth and student wing activists, where slogans such as “Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back” were chanted, he remarked, “I am a farmer’s son. Even if you demand my departure, I will return.” Pradhan continued, “Naveen Babu also labels me a disgrace to the people of Odisha and a morally reprehensible individual,” directly accusing the BJD president of mobilizing youth to protest against him.
“Have my actions ever brought dishonor upon the people of Odisha?” he inquired, eliciting a resounding “No” from the assembled audience.
“While I may not always bring accolades to the state, I have never, through my actions, disgraced its populace. I am committed to never undertaking any endeavor that would tarnish the state’s reputation,” he affirmed.
Pradhan recounted that he became a Union minister 12 years prior, attributing this to the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samaleswari, the revered deity of Sambalpur. His pointed remarks against Patnaik were delivered from a platform also attended by BJD MLA and Deputy Leader in the Odisha Assembly, Prasanna Acharya.
“Considering the BJD’s planned protests, I consulted with Prasanna Bhai regarding my attendance. Prasanna Babu encouraged me to come and assured me of a warm reception. I came here only after obtaining his permission,” Pradhan explained.
In response, Rohit Pujari, BJD’s Sambalpur district president and former minister, countered Pradhan’s statements, highlighting the criticism the BJP leader had faced concerning the government’s management of student protests.
“No one personally defamed Pradhan. It was his own party and government that brought disrepute upon him through the use of lathi-charges, tear gas, and acts of aggression by the police during the peaceful student agitation at Jantar Mantar. Pradhan was under scrutiny due to these incidents. I fail to comprehend why he attributes the police excesses against protesting students to Patnaik,” Pujari asserted.
Sources indicated that Sambalpur police preemptively detained approximately 30 BJD workers as a precautionary measure, anticipating protests from the party’s youth and student wings.
