‘I am a street fighter, not an activist who sits in AC…’, why did Dharmendra Pradhan say this in Parliament?

Knews Desk- Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reached Parliament for the first time after his resignation on Monday. NDA MPs warmly welcomed him in the Parliament complex. Meanwhile, his brief conversation with senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has now become a topic of discussion in political circles.

On reaching Parliament, Jairam Ramesh met Dharmendra Pradhan and said in English, “It happens.” In response to this Pradhan said smilingly, “Nothing happened. I am a street fighter, not an AC room activist.”

This statement of Pradhan is being seen as a political message. He said that he is not just a leader who holds press conferences, but has been associated with the politics of struggle on the ground for a long time.

This statement of Dharmendra Pradhan has come at a time when he has recently resigned from the post of Education Minister. His natural presence and confident style in Parliament gave rise to new discussions in political circles. Many NDA MPs also welcomed him and boosted his morale.

Pradhan’s history has been associated with student movement

Dharmendra Pradhan has a long association with student politics. In 1997, he was leading the demonstration of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during an agitation against question paper leak in Odisha. At that time he was also injured in police lathi charge.

Nearly three decades later, he had to resign from the post of Education Minister amid nationwide protests over the issue of paper leaks in competitive examinations. For this reason, their old student movement and current developments are also being compared.

BJP gave open support

After the resignation, Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed full support towards Dharmendra Pradhan. Many senior party leaders including Home Minister Amit Shah met him. National President Nitin Naveen, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders also appreciated his contribution in the education sector.

BJP leaders say that Pradhan’s resignation is not a sign of any political weakness, but an example of accountability. The party believes that they have taken this decision taking moral responsibility.

According to political sources, the party leadership may assign some important responsibility in the organization to Dharmendra Pradhan in future. However, no official announcement has been made yet in this regard.

At present, his conversation with Jairam Ramesh in Parliament and his “Street Fighter” statement remains a major topic of political debate.