Rahul Gandhi says 'it's time to remove Modi govt' after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a jibe on the Centre after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, saying 'time has come to remove this government'. He called it a victory for students while urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise to the youth and act against those responsible for the alleged police violence during the NEET protests.

In a video statement, Gandhi congratulated students across the country for their role in the protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, saying their determination had protected "democracy, the Constitution, and their future."

"Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is a huge step towards reshaping our education system. Well done to students across the country; we are proud of all of you," Gandhi said.


Also read: Check key political reactions on Pradhan's resignation

He further highlighted that two key demands still remained unresolved. Gandhi demanded that PM Modi should apologise to students "while respecting the students and India's future" and sought action against those responsible for the alleged violence against protesters during the demonstrations.

Gandhi called on farmers, labourers and other sections of society to continue asserting their rights through constitutional means.

"For other sections of society—farmers, labourers, the poor, every person whom this government has suppressed and crushed—true courage lies in standing firm in a constitutional manner for one's dignity," he said.

Also read: 'Do not mess with cockroaches': CJP celebrates Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Stepping up his attack on the government, Gandhi added, "The time has come to remove this government. Don't be afraid!"

Pradhan's resignation comes after weeks of nationwide protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which had made his exit its principal demand amid the controversy over the alleged NEET paper leak and calls for wider examination reforms.

CJP says two more demands pending

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned saying it was not a matter of “individual prestige” for himas cheers broke out at Jantar Mantar where CJP was holding protests from around a month. The youth-led party has made it clear this would not be the end and the movement that had spread across the country could well continue.

“We have two more demands. We will not go like that. We are cockroaches, once they enters they don't leave,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said after Pradhan's resignation.

The CJP’s Cockroach is Back X handle posted a “Demands Update”, which put a tick against the first in the list – Pradhan’s resignation. It marked the two other demands – Rs 1 crore to the families of all students who died by suicide and no action against any of the student protesters with a “PENDING”.

Also read: Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid NEET paper leak controversy: A look back at his four-decade political journey



In his detailed resignation note in Hindi, Pradhan said he was disturbed to see the series of events that unfolded in the last 10 days.

“I took responsibility of NEET paper leak from day one,” he said. It is his resolve not to let the country's youth get ensnared in a web of confusion, he added.

“Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country—with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers—I have submitted my resignation to prime minister," he said.