Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan was Tuesday accorded a warm welcome by Odisha ministers and party MLAs at the Bhubaneswar airport upon his return to his home state for the first time after resigning as the Union education minister in the face of massive student and youth protests.
However, both the opposition parties, the BJD and Congress ridiculed the grand welcome of Pradhan, saying it was an “attempt to conceal his failure and protect his image”.
At least five state ministers — Suryabanshi Suraj (higher education), Nityananda Gond (mass education), Rabi Narayan Naik (panchayati raj), Mukesh Mahaling (health) and Sampad Chandra Swain (industries) and 21 other BJP legislators, two former MLAs and senior party leaders welcomed the Sambalpur MP at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here.
‘Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad’ slogan rent the air as his supporters lined either side of the road to welcome their leader.
Pradhan stepped down as the Union education minister July 25, taking moral responsibility for the irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG 2026 examination held May 3.
Pradhan’s supporters are projecting him as a “hero” as he is the first minister in the Narendra Modi government who stepped down on “moral grounds”.
“Of the 79 MLAs, 26 legislators, including five ministers, were present at the airport to welcome Pradhan. This reflects his acceptability among party lawmakers,” a political observer said.
Odisha BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and BJP state president Manmohan Samal, have praised Pradhan for taking an “exemplary step by resigning on moral grounds”.
Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das, on the other hand, said, “Neither has Pradhan resigned on moral grounds not has Prime Minister Narendra Modi sacked him. He had to tender his resignation under the pressure from students and youths of the country.”
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam questioned the BJP’s welcoming of Pradhan.
“Why such a grand welcome, for what achievement? Pradhan is the one whose wrong policies caused repeated paper leaks and thus pushed students’ future into darkness,” he said.
The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD said the grand welcome is being used to “conceal Pradhan’s failures”.
“The welcome programme was organised to protect his image,” the BJD said in a statement.
Addressing a press conference, BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said, “Pradhan resigned under pressure after the student agitation received nationwide support. Repeated leaks of NEET and other examination question papers reflect Pradhan’s failure as a minister.”
Mohanty claimed Pradhan was compelled to resign.
“After being devastated over the question paper leak, 21 students died allegedly by suicide… Pradhan was compelled to resign,” Mohanty added.
BJD student wing president Ipsita Sahu said, “Several key leaders of the state BJP were absent from today’s welcome programme, which reflects the internal factionalism.”
