- Dharmendra Pradhan received enthusiastic welcome from BJP MPs in Parliament.
- Resignation followed protests over exam irregularities and NEET paper leak.
- Congress criticized welcome, questioned government on other parliamentary issues.
Two days after his resignation as Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan arrived at the Parliament and was welcomed with great enthusiasm by BJP MPs on Monday.
The MPs greeted him with smiles, folded hands and raised the slogans of "Dharmendra Pradhan Zindabad." One of them placed a traditional cap on his head and a shawl around his shoulders.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday
Pradhan, a Member of Parliament from Odisha, resigned as Education Minister on Saturday. His resignation was a key demand of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which led the protests at Jantar Mantar, over exam irregularities and NEET paper leak.
Pradhan had posted his resignation letter on X on Saturday. Pradhan wrote, "I have sent my resignation to the Prime Minister. I am saddened by the events of the last 10 days. This is not a matter of prestige for me. India's youth is our strength."
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Pradhan's resignation marked the end of CJP's Jantar Mantar protest as the Central government accepted all their demands.
#WATCH | Delhi: Former Union Education Minister and BJP MP Dharmendra Pradhan arrives at the Parliament.
BJP-NDA MPs sloganeer "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad" as they receive him here. pic.twitter.com/7DHXIzMkvI
— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2026
Pradhan also engaged in a brief conversation with Congress general in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP, Jairam Ramesh. While speaking about his resignation, Ramesh told him, 'It happens.' Pradhan was quick to shoot back, saying, "Nothing happened. I am a street fighter, not an AC-room activist."
Congress raised questions
However, the deadlock in Parliament still persists as Congress has questioned the BJP MPs' reception of Pradhan. Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhary said, "They did the same thing to the Bilkis Bano accused. This is their habit."
Notably, she was referring to a 2022 incident, when the Gujarat government released 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. After their release, photographs emerged of relatives offering them sweets.
Moreover, the Congress had demanded accountability from Home Minister Amit Shah for the alleged use of pellet guns against the protestors during the 'Sansad Chalo' march on July 20.
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Similarly, a video of a cop in Patna with an AK-47 has gone viral from the Bihar Bandh protest. The Congress has called out the Home Minister for alleged brutality.
Meanwhile, Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Education Minister. He holds the ministry as an additional charge.