A day after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post of Union Education Minister following weeks of protests over the alleged leak of NEET-UG papers, BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya claimed that Pradhan had offered to step down on the first day of the student agitation.
Vijayvargiya also claimed that Pradhan’s resignation “thwarted the designs” of foreign powers seeking to destabilize India, PTI reported.
“Pradhan’s resignation foiled the plans of those foreign powers who wanted to destabilize India by spreading violence, as happened in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. I congratulate him for what he did,” Vijayvargiya said.
Also Read: Dharmendra Pradhan LIVE News: Pralhad Joshi takes over as Education Minister a day after Pradhan resigned
“Ready to quit from day one”
According to Vijayvargiya, Pradhan had informed the BJP leadership at the beginning of the agitation that he was ready to resign if the party deemed it necessary, the report added.
“On the first day, as soon as the student agitation started, Pradhan told the BJP president that if he felt it was necessary, he was ready to resign from the post of education minister,” he said.
Vijayvargiya claimed that the BJP president had asked Pradhan not to resign at that time, saying that no decision had been taken on the issue and ordering him not to tender his resignation or discuss the matter with anyone.
“Later, when circumstances changed and the party decided that Pradhan should step down, he resigned immediately,” Vijayvargiya added.
The BJP leader also said that Pradhan carried out all the responsibility assigned to him with honesty and dedication.
Vijayvargiya criticized the Congress for celebrating Pradhan’s resignation, saying the party was taking credit for a movement he did not lead. Using an Indian proverb, he said the opposition was “beating the drum for a baby being born in a neighbour’s house.”
“What role did the Congress play in the students’ agitation? The students launched the agitation and only the Congress stood behind them. After the West Bengal Assembly elections, the opposition became completely demoralized and in this state of despair, it found a ray of hope in the Janata Party,” he claimed.
He also asked whether any Congress leader had faced police action during the student agitation.
Responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) acted like “termites” and hollowed out the country’s education system, Vijayvargiya said: “I feel very sorry for Rahul Gandhi’s political ideology and thought. I think he still needs to understand what the RSS is.”
“The country is moving in the right direction,” he added, crediting the RSS for its contribution.
Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday amid mounting pressure over the NEET paper leak controversy, with the Center ceding to the key demand of the agitation led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) after weeks of protests that spread from Delhi to several parts of the country.
Announcing his resignation, Pradhan said that the developments that had taken place over the past 10 days had “deeply saddened” him and that the issue was “not a matter of personal prestige.”
After his resignation, the CJP called off its 36-day agitation, which mobilized thousands of people over alleged examination irregularities and leaked NEET papers.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has been given additional charge of the Education Ministry while also continuing as Consumer Affairs Minister.
(With inputs from agencies)
