Revanth Reddy: Youth forced Pradhan's ouster, defeated Modi govt

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy hailed the power of youth, saying their protests forced Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET paper leak and dealt a defeat to the Modi government. He accused the PM of trying to suppress the opposition.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday slammed the Modi government, saying that the youth stood united to force the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister on the paper leak issue and that any government has to accept defeat when farmers and youth "fight back".

Talking with ANI, Revanth Reddy accused the Modi government of trying to suppress the issues raised by opposition parties and using probe agencies against political opponents. He also accused PM Modi of trying to weaken opposition parties by splitting them in West Bengal, Delhi, and Maharashtra. He said youth fought from the streets to Parliament and "defeated Modiji".

"Modi ji has become used to suppressing whatever issues the opposition raises by threatening them and filing cases against them. This time, he tried to intimidate the opposition using the ED, Income Tax Department, and the CBI. In West Bengal, Delhi, and Maharashtra, he also tried to weaken the opposition by splitting political parties," Reddy said.

"But this time, the entire youth came out onto the streets. From the streets to Parliament, the youth fought and defeated Modi ji. Whenever farmers and the youth begin to respond and fight back, any government has to accept defeat. This is the defeat that these people faced yesterday," he added.

Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns Amid Protests

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister yesterday following weeks of protests over NEET-UG paper leak and "examination irregularities", with students demanding transparency, accountability, and reforms in the examination system. His resignation was a key demand of protestors. Opposition parties had been forcing adjournments in Parliament on the issue. Pradhan said yesterday that he submitted his resignation to PM Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."

Government Engages with Protesters

Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday said the government had considered and accepted the demands raised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during talks over reforms in the education examination system and other issues related to the protests. Nadda said the government would carefully examine the CJP's five-point charter on examination reforms and take necessary steps after discussions. He said discussions were also held on issues related to cases filed during the protests.

Nadda added that the government would provide copies of FIRs to the protesters and assured that no retaliatory action would be taken against them.On the demand for compensation, Nadda said the government was sympathetic towards the affected families and that compensation would be provided according to rules and regulations

Following the talks, CJP announced the withdrawal of its 37-day-long agitation at Jantar Mantar, saying the decision was taken in "good faith" after receiving assurances from the government.

Call for Systemic Reforms

Answering another query, Revanth Reddy said reforms in both the education and examination systems are essential. "This issue should be discussed in Parliament, in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. We must consider the suggestions of the opposition, experts, and stakeholders. Necessary changes should be made, and responsibility must be fixed. Those entrusted with work must be held accountable," he said.

"If anyone commits a mistake, the punishment should be stringent because the future of millions of young people is at stake. No one should be allowed to manipulate it. That is why we are demanding a systematic discussion, debate, and laws to protect these interests," he added.

New Bill to Prevent Unfair Means in Exams

Union Minister Jitendra Singh would on Monday introduce the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in Lok Sabha. The bill has strong penal provisions to deal with any case of paper leaks. According to the listed agenda of Lok Sabha for Monday, Jitendra Singh will also move the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for passing after it is introduced in the House.

The Bill introduces seven key amendments designed to plug enforcement loopholes, establish dedicated judicial mechanisms, and accelerate criminal trials. The proposed legislation seeks to significantly overhaul the 2024 framework by instituting strict time bounds for both investigations and judicial proceedings.

State Governments and Union Territory Administrations will be empowered to designate Courts of Session as Special Fast Track Courts dedicated exclusively to trying offences under the Act. According to the provisions of the bill, proceedings in Special Fast-Track Courts must be conducted on a day-to-day basis, with trials mandated to conclude within three months from the date the chargesheet is filed. (ANI)

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