Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 28: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday mocked the Centre over the resignation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying the government had "saved the Pradhan Mantri (Prime Minister) by removing a Pradhan."
Participating in the 10-hour discussion on the anti-paper leak amendment bill in the Lok Sabha, the Kannauj MP linked Pradhan's resignation to the nationwide protests over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and claimed the government had bowed to public pressure.
"When the minister (Dharmendra Pradhan) arrived in Parliament, he was welcomed outside the House. By removing one 'Pradhan', you effectively saved the 'Pradhan Mantri'," Yadav remarked.
He praised the youth-led agitation, saying it had compelled the government to act.
"I salute the youngsters for their morale and unity, which forced the government to bow down. The government thought it was invincible, but the youth proved that 'jhukti hai duniya, jhukane wala chahiye'. The government bowed down and made the minister resign," he said.
Yadav described the agitation as the first student movement to receive widespread support from parents and argued that governments respond only when they come under sustained public pressure.
Drawing a parallel with the 2020-21 farmers' protest, he alleged that the Centre withdrew the three farm laws only when elections approached.
The SP chief also accused the BJP of undermining India's education system.
"Ever since the BJP came to power, it has tried to destroy education, examinations and universities by painting them in one colour. This created anger among students, which is why the protests became so massive that the world's biggest party had to budge," he said.
He further alleged that the government had deprived Dalits and backward classes of opportunities in recruitment and claimed the Centre was increasingly outsourcing key functions, comparing the examination system's reliance on the National Testing Agency (NTA) with what he termed a broader trend of outsourcing governance.
Pradhan resigned as Union education minister following weeks of protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination. Protesters had demanded his removal, a court-monitored probe into the paper leak, compensation for families of students who died by suicide, and reforms to the examination system.
On Monday, the government introduced the anti-paper leak bill in the Lok Sabha, aimed at strengthening safeguards against examination malpractices and imposing stricter penalties for those involved in paper leaks. However, the House was adjourned for the day amid sloganeering by Opposition members.