Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has broken his silence days after stepping down from the Cabinet. Pradhan, speaking in Odisha on Saturday, said he felt that some people had tried to “mislead” Gen Z during protests over the NEET paper leak and alleged examination irregularities.
He also revealed that he had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before offering to resign. Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on July 25, 2026. His exit came after student protesters demanded accountability over the alleged irregularities surrounding the NEET examination.
‘I Have Been A Victim Of Gen Z’: Pradhan On NEET Protests
Addressing students and teachers at GM University in Bhubaneswar, Pradhan spoke about the protests and his decision to step down.
“I have been a victim of Gen Z. For some time, the way this whole episode unfolded, I felt some people tried to mislead the children of the new generation,” he said, according to the Hindustan Times.
Pradhan said the concerns of young people needed to be acknowledged. He added that their grievances should not be allowed to become a tool for political battles. The former minister said he met PM Modi and discussed the issue with him.
“I met the Prime Minister and requested him to agree to the desire of Gen Z. I told him to allow me to acknowledge this in front of the children. I never staked my personal honour in the matter,” Pradhan said.
According to him, Modi agreed and later addressed the issue himself. “The Prime Minister accepted this, and later he himself spoke about it in front of the children,” he said.
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‘Gen Z Is Our Children’: What Pradhan Said
Pradhan also said that he did not have any personal issue with the younger generation. “Gen Z is our children. Some people attempted to mislead them. I had no personal issues then,” he said, as quoted by PTI.
He highlighted the size and aspirations of India’s young population.
“At least two crore children are born in India every year. During the last 10 years, 20 crore children were born. They have aspirations, and they will make India the ‘Vishwa Guru’. The post was not important to me,” Pradhan said.
He added that he had approached the Prime Minister and offered to resign from the Union Council of Ministers. His remarks come at a time when the BJP and RSS leadership are making efforts to engage with Gen Z after the protests.
Dharmendra Pradhan Takes On Naveen Patnaik
Pradhan also launched a sharp attack on former Odisha Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik. Speaking at another meeting in Rairakhol, Pradhan said he was not affected by protests against him. BJD workers had reportedly raised slogans of “Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back” near the airport.
Responding to the protests, Pradhan said, “I am a farmer’s son. Even if you tell me to go back, I will come back.” He also responded to criticism from Patnaik.
“Naveen Babu also calls me a disgrace to the people of Odisha and a bad person,” Pradhan said. He then asked the gathering, “Have I ever done anything that will shame the people of Odisha?”
“I may not be bringing laurels for the state, but I have never disgraced the people by my work. I will never do any work which will tarnish the state’s reputation,” he added.
BJD Hits Back At Former Education Minister
The BJD rejected Pradhan’s allegations and accused the BJP government of mishandling the student protests. BJD Sambalpur district president and former minister Rohit Pujari said Pradhan’s criticism was a result of the government’s own actions.
“Nobody had defamed Pradhan. His party and government have defamed him by police resorting to lathi-charge, tear gas and atrocities during the peaceful student agitation at Jantar Mantar,” Pujari said.
He also claimed that the NEET controversy had caused widespread distress among students.
“Why would Patnaik want to defame him? The whole country knows that 21 children died by suicide because of him,” Pujari claimed.
Pujari said the BJP government’s “wrong policy” was responsible for the criticism faced by Pradhan. Meanwhile, sources said Sambalpur Police detained around 30 BJD workers as a precautionary measure amid expectations of protests by the party’s youth and student wings.
Sudeep Singh Rawat is a Copy Editor at NewsX Digital with over five years of experience in digital journalism. He covers national and international news, with a focus on politics, crime, technology, public affairs, and trending topics. Before joining NewsX Digital, he worked with Business Standard, The Sunday Guardian, and other digital media organisations. His reporting focuses on breaking news, enterprise stories, and explainers that inform readers through accurate, balanced, and context-driven journalism.
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