Akhilesh Yadav targets Centre over Dharmendra Pradhan resignation, says decision came too late

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra targeted the Centre following Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the NEET leak row. Opposition leaders credited student protests for the move, questioning why the decision took so long

Azamgarh: After the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister, Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav questioned the Centre, saying that the resignation should have come much earlier.

Pradhan’s resignation came in the face of massive students’ agitation over exam irregularities, triggered by the May 3 NEET-UG paper leak.

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Addressing reporters in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh, Akhilesh Yadav said: “An important piece of news has come in. This is especially encouraging for the younger generation. Wherever this news has reached, people have celebrated with joy.”

Questioning the delay over the resignation, the SP President asked: “Why was there so much of stubbornness. If they (Centre) had to do this only then the decision could have been taken earlier itself by holding talks with the students, especially when many students have lost their lives.”

“The government had itself accepted that the exam paper leak did take place and even sacked officials…looking at the power of Gen Z, even the phone camera angle had to change,” he said.

The SP Chief was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late-night video, posted on his official Instagram account on Friday, where he addressed students and youths.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also welcomed Pradhan’s resignation while asserting that “nobody can ever dare to silence the voice of the youth”.

Speaking to media persons in Kerala’s Wayanad, Priyanka Gandhi said: “It is because, many times over the last 10 or 12 years, I have asked myself, ‘When are our young people going to wake up? Look at what is being done to our country.’ The RSS is filling the entire education system. Every post, every Vice-Chancellor, the ideology of our forefathers has been systematically broken down.”

The Congress MP added: “Force has been used against young people, against anybody who raises their voice in protest. So today I am very happy that the youth of our country have spoken and nobody can ever dare to silence their voice.”