Congress President and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday [1].
The demand follows a confrontation between police and student protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. This escalation highlights the growing tension between the opposition and the government over educational integrity and the treatment of youth activists.
Kharge said Pradhan labeled students participating in the “Sansad Chalo” protest as “terrorists” [1, 2]. The Congress leader said the remark was unacceptable and that the minister must resign for using such language against students [1].
The “Sansad Chalo” protest was organized to draw attention to the NEET-UG paper-leak controversy. Kharge said Pradhan's alleged comments were linked to the broader failure of the ministry to address the leak and the subsequent frustration of the medical aspirants [1].
In addition to the demand for resignation, Kharge addressed the police response during the demonstrations. He said he will not celebrate his birthday following the police action at the protest site [2].
The incident occurred at Jantar Mantar, a frequent site for political demonstrations in the capital. The opposition has intensified its scrutiny of the Education Ministry as the NEET-UG controversy continues to spark nationwide unrest among students [1].
“He called the protesting students ‘terrorists’ and must resign.”
This confrontation signals a deepening political divide over the administration of national competitive exams. By linking the alleged 'terrorist' label to the NEET-UG paper-leak controversy, the opposition is attempting to frame the government's response to student grievances as both administratively incompetent and authoritarian.
