Breaking his silence for the first time after his resignation, former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday described himself as a "street fighter," and not an "A/C room activist."
Pradhan reportedly made the remark during an interaction with senior Congress MP Jairam Ramesh in the corridors of Parliament.
During their conversation, the two leaders reminisced about their long association. At one point, Ramesh reportedly remarked, "It happens." Responding to this, Pradhan said, "Nothing happens. I'm a street fighter, not an A/C room activist." Pradhan is the Lok Sabha member from Odisha's Sambalpur constituency.
Pradhan received a warm welcome from NDA leaders in Parliament on Monday, with BJP MPs putting up a show of solidarity two days after his resignation amid nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Ruling party MPs greeted him by chanting slogans of "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad."
The Congress criticized the BJP for felicitating Pradhan in the Parliament House complex, calling the gesture "utterly shameful" and "a grave insult" to the country's youth.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), launched in May by 30-year-old public relations graduate Abhijeet Dipke, had spearheaded the protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and demanded Pradhan's resignation. The CJP began its protest at Jantar Mantar on June 20.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and remained on an indefinite fast for 26 days. On July 18, he was forcibly shifted to Safdarjung Hospital. Later, following an order by the Delhi High Court, Wangchuk was transferred to Medanta Hospital.
The 36-day agitation, led by the CJP, ended on Saturday with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister.