Rahul Gandhi, Congress, Opposition Parties Shower Praises on Students, Call Pradhan’s Resignation “a Huge Step”

Rohit Kumar

NEW DELHI, July 25: The Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has given all the credits for the success of the agitation seeking the resignation of the union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over paper leaks, to the students and the GenZ and said this had provided an opportunity to India in rebuilding its education system that has been affected by constant paper leaks.

“Well done, students,” a beaming Rahul Gandhi said while congratulating the protesting students after the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister on Saturday evening. Gandhi called Pradhan’s resignation a “huge step” toward reshaping India’s education system. “It’s a first step, but a huge step in reshaping our education system. Well done to students across the country; we are proud of all of you,” Rahul Gandhi said in a video message.

“Heartiest congratulations to every young person, every student who took to the streets and stood firm to protect democracy, the Constitution, and their future,” Gandhi added.

“First of all, this is the victory of our students. This is their triumph. They are the future of India. Our education system used to be a matter of pride. It was acknowledged across the world that India’s education system was excellent. But for years, it has been under attack. It is being taken over and privatized. This is a reaction to that. It is also a reaction to unemployment,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters.

He said the students’ “victory” was also a message to other sections of society, such as the poor and farmers “who are being targeted by this government,” to stand up. “Daro mat. There is wisdom in standing up. Let’s get rid of this regime,” Gandhi said.

In his message, Gandhi said Pradhan’s resignation has sent a signal to every section of the society, including the farmers and the labourers, that has been “attacked and oppressed” by the current government. He said this has also provided an opportunity to change the current regime in India, which he said was constantly attacking the country, destroying the Constitution and capturing all the institutions.

However, he said the government still needs to fulfill two of the protesting students’ demands. “The first one and most important one, anybody who has raised a finger on our students, beaten them, shot at them has to be held accountable,” Rahul said. “People who’ve organized it, people who’ve implemented it, all have to be punished and the final demand that the Prime Minister of India, out of respect for the students of India, out of respect for the future of India, has to apologize to the students who were brutalised and attacked.”

The protesters, led by Abhijeet Dipke’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), put forth three demands in front of the government: Pradhan’s resignation, no action against agitators and Rs 1 crore compensation for kin of NEET aspirants who died by suicide.

During the Friday’s meeting with CJP representatives, the government agreed for the other two demands but said it would decide about Pradhan’s resignation later. But with the agitation intensifying, Pradhan stepped down saying he was pained to see what has happened in the past 10 days.

Rahul’s sister and the Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has also welcomed Pradhan’s resignation, saying the government was forced to bow down in front of the students. The Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad also credited Rahul for the success of students’ protests.

“The youth did not bend; the government had to bend. It is a victory for the youth and students of India. I was really and truly happy when I heard the news. I even got a bit emotional,” she told reporters during her visit to Wayanad.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Pradhan’s resignation was a “victory of truth” and defeat of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “stubbornness.” He also called it a victory of the united opposition, who had raised the voices of students in Parliament.

“This is the victory of our millions of youth who raised their voices on the streets across the country to fix the education system… This is the victory of truth and the defeat of Mr Modi’s stubbornness,” Kharge said on

Rahul Gandhi has been leading the Opposition’s charge against the government over the students’ issue in Parliament. The Opposition disrupted both houses of Parliament this week over the crackdown on the students.

On July 21, a day after the crackdown, Rahul Gandhi led a Congress MPs’ sit-in outside the Prime Minister’s residence to demand accountability for the assault on students and Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Responding to the growing student protests, the Center has taken a series of steps in the last two days to check the paper leak menace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the setting up of fast-track courts to try paper leak cases. The government is also planning amendments to the law against paper leaks to bring in stricter punishment and fines. The Center has replaced the education secretary and has also sacked 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and has promised a total overhaul of the organization which conduct over 20 national examinations including NEET and JEE.

Most other Opposition parties also hailed students’ victory and appreciated their resilience in the face of police brutality and the government’s stubbornness in conceding their “just demands.”