New Delhi : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling it a victory for students, truth, and the united Opposition.
Kharge said the voices of millions of students protesting across the country had finally been heard.
He further urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to students and take strict action against those responsible for using force against protesters. In a post on X, Kharge wrote, "India's 'Students' Echo' has finally reached the threshold of arrogant power. 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 truth and the defeat of Modi's stubbornness."
"This is the victory of all those families who lost their blood, their children, because this government is corrupt. This is the victory of the united opposition, who raised their voices from Parliament to the streets in the interest of the students. Now it is Mr. Modi's turn to apologise to our young generation and to take strict action against those who unleashed lathis, batons, and pellet guns on them," the post read.
Kharge's remarks come following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister. The Union Minister said he had submitted the resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."
The resignation follows weeks of nationwide protests over irregularities in competitive examinations, with students demanding greater transparency, accountability, and reforms in the examination system. Further, Congress MP KC Venugopal also welcomed Pradhan's resignation, calling it a "victory of the people" and saying students' protests and the Opposition's demand for accountability had forced the government to act.
He added that the Congress would continue its campaign for reforms in the education system. "Your power forced the incompetent, corrupt, and guilty Dharmendra Pradhan to resign! This is a victory of the people, a win for all those who fought for accountability in our system. Since the moment the NEET paper leaked, the Congress and especially @RahulGandhi ji has been demanding his resignation. In a united fashion, the Opposition was spearheading this protest with a common demand for accountability. Our other demands - for punishment of those who attacked our students, and an apology from the PM for the atrocities faced by the students," Venugopal said in a post on X.
"However, our movement for reforms in the education sector will continue. Until we bring fairness in the system, reduce the pressures faced by students and improve the quality of education, we will not rest. A massive salute to the millions of students across the country who compelled this Government to bow down to their will, and to Rahul Gandhi ji - who remained the most vocal, genuine and committed supporter of their cause," the post read.
Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Pradhan's resignation should have come earlier, adding that students across the country had lost faith in the examination system and calling for comprehensive reforms to restore confidence.
Speaking to the reporters, Hooda said, "Better late than never. This should have come earlier. There wouldn't have been so much damage. The young generation across the country has lost faith in exams, so the entire system should change. A new system should be introduced... The demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Education Minister wasn't just from Congress alone; it was from the youth of the entire country."