- Archita Sarangi refused to delete her Instagram post about Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation
- Pradhan resigned as Education Minister over the NEET paper leak controversy
- BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi supported Pradhan, praising his moral courage and responsibility
"I won't delete the post," wrote the daughter of BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi in an Instagram post addressed to "DP's PA". The post she was referring to was a snippet of a news headline about Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, sparking speculation on social media that she was being pressured to take it down.
Pradhan resigned on Saturday afternoon in the wake of the students' protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over paper leaks.
Archita Sarangi shared the headline on Instagram shortly after the minister's resignation. Later, she wrote on the platform that she wouldn't delete the post.
"Also, to DP's PA who is sure to text my mother asking me to delete my previous story (it has happened before) - don't bother, I won't delete. Jai Jagannath! Jai Hindi!," she wrote on Instagram.
Also read: "To Keep Anti-India Forces Away": Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns As Education Minister
The BJP MP, on the other hand, declared unwavering support for Dharmendra Pradhan. She said the leader had resigned, taking moral responsibility for the NEET paper leak and displaying courage.
Some time later, Archita's Instagram account was reportedly deactivated.
Aparajita Sarangi was an Indian Administrative Service officer before she joined politics. She won the 2024 general elections from Bhubaneswar, defeating her BJD rival by over 35,000 votes.
Pradhan, a BJP stalwart in Odisha, resigned hours before the scheduled third round of talks between the Cockroach Janta Party and the Centre.
"I hold deep respect for the aspirations, sentiments, and rightful expectations of the youth of this country. Realising the dreams of India's young generation has been the moral resolve of our political and social life. I express my gratitude to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for the opportunity given to me to serve the nation under his visionary leadership," he wrote in his post on X.
Also read: Government Never Tried To Stop Student Protests: Nirmala Sitharaman To NDTV
"Keeping in mind that anti-national forces should not take advantage of the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the unity of the nation remains intact, that the future of even a single student of India does not get entangled in legal complications, and that our children devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers -- I have submitted my resignation to Hon'ble Prime Minister," he added.
Apart from Pradhan's resignation, the CJP, who spearheaded the protest, had demanded Rs 1 crore compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide after the paper's cancellation in May. It had also demanded the government's guarantee that no legal action would be taken against students who participated in the protest.
The CJP addressed a press conference on Saturday evening with Union ministers and declared that all their demands had been met. It then called off the agitation.
With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh
