Bhubaneswar: BJP Lok Sabha MP Dharmendra Pradhan has, for the first time, spoken about his resignation as Union Education Minister, two weeks after he stepped down. He said the decision was linked to the protests held by youth at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where he alleged some people tried to mislead the demonstrators.
The protests, which continued for over a month and saw thousands of students participate, demanded his resignation in connection with the alleged leak of the NEET question paper for undergraduate medical admissions. As the agitation intensified, Pradhan resigned on July 25, after which the protest was called off.
Following his exit, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was given additional charge of the Education Ministry. Pradhan addressed the issue at a programme at GM University in Bhubaneswar, where he said he had no personal issues with the younger generation and that ministerial office was not important to him.
He also said he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in person to convey his decision to leave the Union Cabinet. In a separate event in Rayagada, he claimed protests against him across Odisha were being carried out at the direction of Biju Janata Dal leader Naveen Patnaik, adding that he would not be intimidated and would not do anything that would bring disrepute to the state.
