NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Saturday welcomed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, describing it as a victory for students and sustained public protest over the alleged NEET paper leak.
While hailing the resignation as a significant political moment, they said it was only the first step and pressed for wider reforms, accountability for alleged police excesses, and an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Pradhan resigned on Saturday amid nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), saying he had taken responsibility for the NEET paper leak from the outset and that it was not a matter of "individual prestige".
Congress: 'Victory of truth', but not the end
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the resignation a "victory of truth" and a defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "stubbornness", crediting students for sustaining the movement. "The echo of India's students has finally reached the doors of the arrogant power," Kharge said.
"This is the victory of our millions of youth who raised their voices on the streets across the country to fix the education system. This is the victory of truth and the defeat of Mr Modi's stubbornness," he said.
Kharge also urged Modi to apologise to students and take action against those responsible for using "lathis, batons and pellet guns" against protesters.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Pradhan's resignation was the result of sustained pressure from students but insisted that the movement's demands had not been fully met.
"This is not the end. We still await the prime minister's apology to our students," Ramesh said.
"The incompetent, callous, and arrogant Mantri Pradhan has finally been compelled to resign. It was sustained youth pressure that finally forced the Pradhan Mantri to stop giving him political cover," he added.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra described the resignation as "a victory for the youth and students of India".
"The youth did not bend; the government had to bend. It is a victory for the youth and students of India," she told reporters in Kerala.
She also demanded that Modi apologise to students over the police action during the protests.
"He is responsible for young children being out on the streets all over India. He is responsible for them being shot with pellet guns as if they're terrorists," she said.
AAP: Don't suppress the movement
Calling it a victory for students, youth and democracy following widespread protests over alleged paper leaks, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the government should listen to people's voices and hoped steps would be taken to prevent paper leaks.
The resignation was a "big win for democracy" and congratulated the people of the country, Kejriwal said.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said the youth-led movement compelled the government to accept the minister's resignation. He said the campaign that began against paper leaks would now extend to employment, and called for accountability for every mistake.
The AAP warned the Centre against attempting to suppress the protests through police action, saying the movement would only grow stronger.
"The central government is trying to suppress the movement by using police and arresting the youth leaders protesting," AAP leader Gopal Rai said. "If you do this and stop the movement, it will grow across the country," he added, while demanding the release of student leaders arrested in Patna and Gujarat.
NCP (SP): 'Victory of youth power and democracy'
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar said Pradhan's resignation reflected the power of sustained democratic protest by young people.
"In response to the insistent demand of the protesters, the Union Education Minister has finally resigned today," Pawar said.
"This fight, which stood firmly against oppression without fear and forced the government to accept moral responsibility against injustice, is a symbol of the power of democracy. This is a major victory for the unity of the youth power in the country," he added.
Pawar, who had visited the protest site earlier, also credited Opposition MPs for extending parliamentary and moral support to the agitation.
Echoing similar sentiments, his daughter, NCP (SP) working president and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule said the resignation had come only after sustained public pressure from students, peaceful protesters and Opposition parties, while asserting that the development should mark the beginning of deeper reforms rather than the conclusion of the movement.
In a post on X, Sule said, "The resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan comes only after sustained pressure from peaceful protesters, students, and the Opposition. I congratulate every protester who stood firm on the #NEETUG issue. But this cannot be the end, we demand real accountability, comprehensive educational reforms, and a detailed discussion on the NEET issue in Parliament."
RJD: 'Just the beginning'
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha called Pradhan's resignation the first major blow to what he described as the government's arrogance and urged broader institutional reforms. "This is just the beginning. The first peak of the arrogance and stubbornness that defined Modi Ji's cabinet has finally fallen today," Jha said.
"I bow to the students who proved that the entire system was compromised and lacked transparency. We now need a better, far more transparent mechanism with high accountability," he added.
Opposition parties said Pradhan's resignation should mark the beginning of deeper reforms to the country's examination system, while reiterating demands for accountability over the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against student protesters.
