New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after its MPs welcomed former union
education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament. Gandhi called Pradhan a "symbol of corruption and India's ruined education system." The Congress MP said that giving a grand welcome to Pradhan was like celebrating the "destruction of millions of children's future." "Dharmendra Pradhan is a symbol of corruption and India's ruined education system, and he always will be. That same system claimed the lives of 26 children and forced millions of youth onto the streets. Even his resignation wasn't out of ethics—it had to be given out of fear of the youth's outrage," Gandhi said in an X post.
"And today, the BJP is garlanding that same person in Parliament. This isn't any honor—it's a celebration of the destruction of millions of children's futures. Every student in the country is watching this. And every face involved in it will be remembered," he added.
Gandhi's remarks came after several BJP MPs welcomed Pradhan to Parliament. The BJP MPs raised "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad" slogans as the former union minister headed towards the Parliament complex. The MP from Odisha was given grand welcome days after he resigned as the union education minister after a month-long protest led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), a satirical movement, at Delhi's Janata Mantar over the NEET UG paper leak.
Congress MP Renuka Chaudhary also hit out at the saffron party. Chaudhary said the BJP government has "zero" values as they were hailing Pradhan as a "hero". "They did the same thing with rapists of Bilkis Bano. It is their habit... This government has zero values," Chaudhary told media.
Pradhan, on Saturday, July 25, submitted his resignation from the post in the wake of the protest at Jantar Mantar. Pradhan said he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days and sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I took responsibility for the NEET paper leak from day one," he had said.
