- Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister over NEET protests.
- BJP leader claimed Pradhan offered to quit on day one.
- Pradhan's resignation aimed to counter foreign destabilisation attempts.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday following nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak. Amid victory celebrations among the students, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has made an interesting claim.
Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has claimed that Dharmendra Pradhan offered to resign on the very first day of the protests at Delhi Jantar Mantar. Speaking to news agency PTI in Indore on Saturday, Vijayvargiya said Pradhan had told the BJP leadership that he was ready to resign if the party deemed it necessary.
'Party Had Not Taken Any Decision Regarding Resignation': Vijayvargiya
Vijayvargiya said, "On the first day the student agitation began, Pradhan told the BJP president that he was ready to resign as education minister if he felt it necessary." According to the BJP leader, the party president asked Pradhan not to resign at that time, telling him that no decision had been taken yet, and advised him not to discuss the matter further.
Vijayvargiya Defends Dharmendra Pradhan
As per Vijayvargiya, when the party later decided he should resign, Pradhan immediately tendered his resignation. Vijayvargiya also defended the former education minister, saying he performed every responsibility entrusted to him with honesty and dedication.
Referring to Pradhan's resignation, he alleged that the move had foiled the attempts of foreign forces to destabilise India by creating unrest like in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
"Pradhan's resignation has foiled the conspiracies of foreign forces who wanted to create instability in India by spreading violence like in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. I congratulate him for what he has done,” he further said.
Pradhan Resigns Amid CJP Protests
Amid the prolonged protests by CJP against NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan ultimately submitted his resignation on Saturday.
While sharing the update in a post on his X handle, Pradhan informed that he has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further stated that the recent developments had affected him, adding that the issue was not a matter of personal reputation.
"To ensure that anti-national elements are not benefitted by the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, students in India do not get tangled in legal complexities and focus on their studies and their career, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister," Pradhan's letter read.