Days After Resignation, Dharmendra Pradhan Receives Grand Welcome In Bhubaneswar | WATCH

The Communist Party of India (CPI) on Tuesday criticised the BJP for felicitating former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Parliament after his resignation, describing the move as “shameful” and an insult to students who had protested against alleged irregularities in the education system.

Addressing a press conference here, CPI national secretary K. Ramakrishna claimed that Mr. Pradhan resigned only after sustained student protests, police action and nationwide demonstrations that lasted 49 days. He alleged that the Centre continued to entrust the Education Ministry to leaders linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and questioned why a secular representative from the NDA was not appointed. He also demanded the suspension of BJP MP Vishweshwar Reddy over his alleged remarks against protesting students.

Mr. Ramakrishna called for the immediate withdrawal of cases registered against students during the NEET paper leak protests, alleging that the Centre had failed to fulfil its promise to revoke them. He reiterated the CPI’s demand for the abolition of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the withdrawal of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, alleging that the policy encouraged the commercialisation and saffronisation of education.