Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had not resigned voluntarily but had been compelled to step down by the voice of students and young people across the country.
He said students are the future of the nation and their concerns and interests must be respected and protected.
"Pradhan, the Education Minister of the country, did not resign; he was made to resign. It was not the wish of any political party or the government. It was the wish of the students, the youth and the 130 crore people of the country that we must protect the future," Shivakumar told reporters in Bengaluru.
He said the country's future rested with its students and young people, adding that safeguarding their interests was the nation's responsibility.
Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday following weeks of nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and the government's handling of the issue.
The CJP had consistently demanded Pradhan's resignation, along with wide-ranging reforms to the country's examination system.
(With inputs from PTI)