Rahul Gandhi slams BJP for felicitating Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, accuses Modi government of 'celebrating ruined futures'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Rahul Gandhi slams BJP for felicitating Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, accuses Modi government of 'celebrating ruined futures'")
'Students are watching': Rahul Gandhi blasts BJP for honouring Dharmendra Pradhan Photograph: (Combination created using images from RahulGandhi/X, and ANI)
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised the BJP after NDA MPs felicitated former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament, alleging that the ruling alliance was celebrating the destruction of students' futures following the NEET paper leak controversy.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday (Jul 27) slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after NDA MPs welcomed former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament.
In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the ruling alliance was celebrating the destruction of the future of lakhs of students. He noted that Pradhan's resignation had not been voluntary but was forced by public anger over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy. "Dharmendra Pradhan is, and will always remain, the symbol of corruption and India's ruined education system. It is that very system that took the lives of 26 children and forced lakhs of youth onto the streets," Gandhi wrote. "His resignation did not come out of morality - it was forced out of fear of the youth's rage."
'Not an honour, but a celebration'
Gandhi accused the BJP of glorifying Pradhan despite the controversy surrounding the country's examination system.
"And today, the BJP is garlanding that same person inside Parliament. This is not an honour - it is a celebration of ruining the futures of lakhs of children. Every student in the country is watching this. And they will remember every face involved in this," he said.
His remarks came after BJP and NDA MPs raised slogans of "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad" and felicitated the former minister upon his arrival in Parliament.
Also read | Pralhad Joshi assigned Education Ministry charge; President accepts Pradhan's resignation
Pradhan's resignation after student NEET protests
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Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet on Saturday (Jul 25) following weeks of nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and concerns about irregularities in India's competitive examination system.
The protests had intensified amid demands for accountability, examination reforms and action against those responsible for the alleged paper leak.
Government introduces paper leak Bill
The political row comes as the Centre introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill in Parliament on Monday. The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen measures to prevent paper leaks and examination-related malpractice.
While the government has announced a series of reforms to address concerns over the examination system, Opposition parties have continued to question its handling of the crisis, alleging inadequate accountability and criticising the police response to student protests.
