‘Dharmendra Pradhan Zindabad’: Former education minister gets rousing welcome from NDA MPs in Parliament

Former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan received a warm welcome from BJP and NDA MPs at Parliament’s Makar Dwar on Monday as he arrived for the Monsoon Session 2026, marking his first appearance in Parliament after stepping down from the Union Cabinet.

A video shared by ANI showed several MPs gathered at the Makar Dwar entrance ahead of Pradhan’s arrival. As he reached the Parliament complex, lawmakers greeted him with chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan Zindabad” and escorted him inside.

The MPs also presented Pradhan with a ceremonial cap, signalling support for the BJP leader after his resignation from the education ministry.


Pradhan, who represents Odisha in Parliament, stepped down as Education Minister on July 25 following protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. The student-led demonstrations had intensified in Delhi, with protesters demanding accountability and calling for his resignation.

Also Read: NEET protest: SC says police excesses cannot be justified merely because there is agitation, to hear pleas on Tuesday

Meanwhile, the opening of the Parliament session saw continued political tensions, with Opposition MPs staging a protest at Makar Dwar over the police action during the July 20 ‘Sansad Chalo’ march by students protesting against alleged examination irregularities.

Opposition members have submitted adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha and suspension of business notices in the Rajya Sabha, seeking a discussion on the alleged police action against protesters.

Also Read: NEET Row: Congress moves adjournment notices in Parliament over alleged 'brutal' police action on students

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also questioned the effectiveness of the government’s anti-paper leak legislation, asking why students were still facing legal action if the new law was intended to address examination-related irregularities.

The protests were led by groups including the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had demanded Pradhan’s resignation over concerns related to examination systems, paper leaks and accountability. The demonstrations continued until the former minister stepped down from his post.