Congress leaders Sachin Pilot and Manish Tewari hailed Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Education Minister as a victory for students protesting exam irregularities. Pilot demanded an apology from PM Modi, while Tewari praised Gen Z protesters.

'Voice of Students Heard': Sachin Pilot

Congress General Secretary and Rajasthan MLA Sachin Pilot on Saturday welcomed Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as Education Minister, saying it shows "the voice of students and youth has been heard." He said accountability was delayed, sought justice for affected students, and urged PM Modi and the central government to apologise while demanding strict action against the culprits.

In a post on X, Pilot said the government had to "bow down" and demanded that Prime Minister Modi apologise to students. "The resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan means that the voice of students and youth has been heard. This accountability should have been fixed much earlier. Those students whose futures have been toyed with should get justice. The families who have lost their children can never be compensated for this loss. The government has had to bow down and accept the education minister's resignation. This is a victory for youth power. Prime Minister Modi and the central government should apologise to the students, and there should be strict action against the culprits in this entire matter," he wrote on X.

'Victory for Student Movement': Manish Tewari

In Chandigarh, Congress MP Manish Tewari called the resignation "a victory for the young students who have been protesting across the country."

"It is a victory for the young students who have been protesting across the country. It is a vote of no confidence in all those who perpetrated some of the worst atrocities and brutalised young men, women, and children who were exercising their legitimate right to dissent. This resignation represents the power of the people. It demonstrates that the government, however obdurate it may believe itself to be, ultimately has to bow to the will of the people," he told ANI.

Tewari specifically praised Generation Z protesters. "In that sense, it is a victory for the student and youth movement in India, especially for Generation Z; their fearlessness in standing up to unprecedented state excesses, the use of coercive force, lathi charges, and pellet guns without flinching and enduring those hardships with remarkable fortitude is truly commendable. This is a victory for all of them," he said.

Pradhan Cites 'Interest of Students' for Resignation

The remarks come following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister. The Union Minister said he had submitted the resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the interest of students and to ensure that the ongoing protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."

Nationwide Protests and CJP Movement

The resignation follows weeks of nationwide protests over irregularities in competitive examinations, with students demanding greater transparency, accountability, and reforms in the examination system. The controversy began as a NEET-UG paper leak emerged in May, while the re-examination was held on June 21.

The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), beginning as a satirical social media account from CJI Surya Kant's remarks, led the movement along with activist Sonam Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar in the national capital, demanding Pradhan's resignation. Congress and the opposition also joined the call for the resignation, with protests on the streets of Delhi and outside Parliament.

Meanwhile, Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh held the third round of talks with the CJP. Following the meeting, the CJP, along with the Union Ministers held a press conference announcing the end of the protests, and urging people to go back. (ANI)

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