New Delhi: After Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as Union education minister, veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi Saturday congratulated students for the “peaceful conclusion” of their agitation.
Pradhan’s resignation earlier in the day came amid mounting pressure over the NEET paper leak controversy, with the Centre conceding the principal demand of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP)-led agitation after weeks of protests that spread from the national capital to several parts of the country.
Pradhan announced his decision in a statement, saying the developments of the past 10 days had “saddened” him deeply and that the issue was “not a matter of personal prestige.”
Commenting on the development, Joshi said in a post on X, “Better late than never. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation.”
“I appreciate and congratulate all the students for their peaceful conclusion to the movement. I hope that now, peace will soon be established in the world of Indian education and that the young people will have ample opportunities for their bright future and progress,” the BJP veteran added.
Coming out in support of the students protesting against the alleged NEET paper leak, Joshi on Thursday had said their “anxieties and concerns” regarding the examination system were “genuine”.
He had also criticised the police crackdown on the protesting students that took place on Monday, calling it “merciless”, and said such use of force would alienate large sections of Indian society from the national goal of Viksit Bharat.
The former BJP president had also demanded that the concerns of the students must be handled with “empathy” and “a desire to find a lasting solution”.
“It is painful to see young students from different parts of the country assembled for days on the streets of New Delhi. Their anxieties and concerns regarding the examination system are genuine and must be handled with empathy and a desire to find a lasting solution,” Joshi said in a post on X on Thursday.
“It is very painful to see that even young girls were brutally mishandled,” he said.
