Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan received a warm welcome from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs when he arrived at Parliament on Monday, two days after stepping down from the Union Cabinet amid sustained student protests over alleged examination irregularities.
As Pradhan entered the Parliament complex, fellow MPs greeted him with slogans of "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad." Several legislators surrounded the Odisha leader, congratulated him and expressed solidarity. During the welcome, one MP draped a traditional shawl over Pradhan's shoulders and placed a ceremonial cap on his head as colleagues applauded.
The display of support drew sharp criticism from the Congress, which questioned the ruling alliance's decision to celebrate the former minister's resignation. Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury compared the scenes to the public reception accorded to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case following their release in 2022.
"They did the same thing with the rapists of Bilkis Bano. It is their habit," Chowdhury said while reacting to the reception given to Pradhan.
The Congress leader was referring to the release of 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case by the Gujarat government in August 2022 under its remission policy. Images of the convicts being welcomed with sweets and garlands outside Godhra jail had triggered widespread criticism at the time.
Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday after weeks of nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a student-led movement that alleged large-scale irregularities in the conduct of competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak.
The protests, which began at Delhi's Jantar Mantar before spreading to several states, intensified over the past fortnight and culminated in negotiations between representatives of the Centre and the CJP.
Announcing his decision, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the developments of recent days had caused him deep concern.
"I have sent my resignation letter to the Prime Minister," he said in a post on X.
In his resignation message, Pradhan said the issue was "not a matter of personal prestige" and emphasised that the country's youth remained its greatest strength.
"I am pained to see the events of the past 10 days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me. India's youth power is the real strength of this nation. My resolve is that we will not let the country's youth get trapped in a vicious cycle of confusion," he said.
Soon after the resignation, the Cockroach Janta Party announced that it was ending its agitation, stating that its principal demands had been accepted following another round of discussions with government representatives. The organisation said the decision marked the conclusion of its nationwide protest campaign.