- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid protests over exam irregularities
- Opposition said the resignation is a victory for youth demanding education system reforms
- Congress and AAP leaders praised the move as a win for democracy and accountability
The Opposition on Saturday said the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is a "victory of youngsters who raised their voices to fix the education system".
Pradhan on Saturday said he has stepped down, a move that came amid protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), demanding his resignation over the alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
"This is the victory of our millions of youth who raised their voices on the streets across the country to fix the education system... This is the victory of all those families who lost their blood, their children, because this government is corrupt," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X.
"This is the victory of the united opposition, who raised their voices from Parliament to the streets in the interest of the students," he added.
His party leader and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor said Pradhan's resignation is an "acknowledgement that accountability in a democracy cannot be indefinitely evaded".
"It comes after weeks of determined, peaceful voices raised by students, parents and citizens across the country who refused to be ignored," he wrote on X.
"The Minister has left the classroom, but the Government still has to answer the question paper," Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi wrote on X.
"It is a big win for democracy," he said.
Dharmendra Pradhan On His Resignation
Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation on his X handle just hours before the third round of talks between the CJP and the Centre.
"Considering the situation that has arisen at Jantar Mantar and across the country, so that anti-national forces do not take advantage of this situation ... I have sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister," he wrote in his post.
He said he took full responsibility for the NEET paper leak and "never turned away from the situation", but "individuals holding responsible positions attempted to create obstacles and mislead students".
