BHUBANESWAR: Former Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday received a rousing welcome at Biju Patnaik International Airport after arriving on his first visit to Odisha following his resignation from the cabinet in the wake of the NEET-UG paper leak protests.
Thousands of BJP leaders and workers assembled at the airport to greet the senior party leader. The reception was attended by at least five state ministers, around 25 BJP MLAs and several senior party functionaries.
Party workers raised slogans of “Dharmendra Bhai Swagatam” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” while many carried placards reading “Odisha Matira Pua Swagatam” and “Our Leader, Our Hero”. A significant number of students in their college uniforms were also seen shouting slogans.
BJP MLA Babu Singh said the enthusiastic turnout reflected that Pradhan enjoyed the same popularity and public confidence as before. At his residence, Pradhan met a large number of visitors who had travelled from different parts of the state, including his parliamentary constituency of Sambalpur, to express solidarity with him.