Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hailed Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as a victory for the youth, stating the BJP-led government was forced to bow before the sustained student movement against exam paper leaks and irregularities.

Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday termed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation a "victory for the youth," saying the government had been forced to bow before the sustained movement by students, while calling for comprehensive reforms to strengthen the country's examination system and create more employment opportunities.

'Victory for the new generation'

Speaking to reporters on Pradhan's resignation, Yadav said the agitation led by students had demonstrated the power of the younger generation in compelling the government to respond to their demands. "This is a victory for the youth. It's a victory for the new generation who came forward with their demands. The government had to bow down," Yadav said.

Speaking to the media here, the Samajwadi Party chief said the movement had underlined the need for serious reforms in the education sector, from primary schooling to higher education. "This is a major victory for the new generation. The government will have to think very seriously about everything from primary education to higher education. Concrete steps will have to be taken to prevent exam paper leaks," he said.

Yadav also said that the protests, amplified through social media and supported by demonstrations on the streets, had eventually compelled the BJP-led government to concede. "This movement of the youth spread through the internet and social media in today's times, and on the streets, ultimately led to the Bharatiya Janata Party, the world's largest party, which has countless allies, to bow down. This is a big victory for the youth, but people from all political parties should learn from this that in the future, the examinations will have to be strengthened so that no papers are leaked and avenues for employment and jobs will have to be opened for the youth," he added.

Protests and Resignation: The Background

His remarks came as a delegation of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) met Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh at the Constitution Club of India for the third round of talks following Pradhan's resignation. The meeting assumes significance as the Centre continues discussions with the protesting group, which has been leading demonstrations over the NEET-UG paper leak and other examination irregularities.

Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet earlier on Saturday, stating that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the ongoing protests were not exploited by "anti-national forces." In his resignation letter, Pradhan wrote, "The situation that has emerged at Jantar Mantar and elsewhere in the country should not be exploited by anti-national forces. The unity of the country must remain intact. The future of every student in India should not get entangled in legal complications."

The resignation followed weeks of nationwide protests and a 26-day hunger strike led by activist Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar. The agitation has been spearheaded by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has demanded accountability over examination paper leaks.

CJP's Demands Continue

While welcoming Pradhan's resignation, the CJP has said it will continue its protest until all of its demands are met, including compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who died by suicide over examination-related issues, assurance that no action will be taken against student protesters, and action against Delhi Police personnel accused of using force during the demonstrations. (ANI)

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