Kashmir political parties welcome Dharmendra Pradhan resignation as ‘victory for youth

Political parties in Kashmir welcomed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on Saturday, calling it a victory for peaceful student resistance. PDP's Mehbooba Mufti, NC, and Congress leaders said the decision demonstrated the power of democratic youth action

Srinagar: Political parties in Kashmir on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing it as a victory for the country’s youth.

Pradhan stepped down from his post on Saturday, 35 days after a clamour for his resignation over irregularities in the exam system and the NEET paper leak galvanised thousands of students in an unprecedented protest spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said Pradhan’s resignation was a victory for the youth who remained hungry and thirsty but did not indulge in violence.

“I think it’s a victory for the youth of India. The youth who stood there for so many days, hungry and thirsty, absolutely did not indulge in any violence,” Mehbooba told reporters here.

She said Mahatma Gandhi’s India is reclaiming its space now.

“The youth who don’t believe in division, who don’t believe in Hindu-Muslim, who don’t believe in polarisation, they have preserved the idea of India in this country. I think Indian youth have shown that the idea of India, Gandhi’s India, is still alive and thriving. I am happy that we Kashmiris, who are called anti-national, who are called separatists — the way they called us there — they welcomed us. I have a hope that the idea of India is alive, and Indian youth are this country’s new future,” she said. The PDP chief said Pradhan’s resignation is the first step towards reclaiming what India should look like.

To a question about whether a message has been sent to the Centre that arrogance has no place, Mehbooba said it is an overall message for the government: “Polarisation and the Hindu-Muslim card cannot work beyond a point.”

Asked if J-K people should also get their rights back, Mehbooba said they should receive more than just their basic rights. “They have lost a lot. I think our youth who participated in this protest helped the country’s youth. Now it’s the turn of the youth of the country to take up our issues also,” she said.

National Conference (NC) chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said it was the victory of every single student who came out to speak for their rights. “I think it is a good thing that the students of this country have been heard. I feel this is their victory, and it is a victory for every single student who came out and spoke up for their rights,” Sadiq told reporters here.

He said it is also a tribute to all those who sacrificed their lives over the issue.

“I salute every one of those students who want the education system to improve,” he said.

The NC state spokesperson said the Centre should understand the youth’s concerns and heed their demands as soon as possible. He said the protest was organic, and everyone supported it.

Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Tariq Hameed Karra congratulated the country’s youth, stating it was the victory of truth and the collective voice of lakhs of students.

“I congratulate the country’s youth for their determined and democratic struggle. Today’s developments are a victory of truth, persistence, and the collective voice of lakhs of students and young aspirants,” Karra said in a statement.

He congratulated Rahul Gandhi, describing him as the torchbearer of democracy in an era where democratic institutions and dissent have come under increasing pressure. “Gandhi consistently stood with the youth, raised their concerns fearlessly, and refused to allow their voices to be silenced. The resignation of the Union Education Minister is self-explanatory. It is nothing but an admission that the Government failed despite every attempt to suppress the voice of lakhs of young Indians demanding accountability and justice. Truth has prevailed over arrogance,” Karra said.

He said the resignation marks the second major surrender of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government to the people of the country.

“The first came when the Government was forced to withdraw the three farm laws after the historic farmers’ movement. Today, it has once again been compelled to bow before the united voice of the nation’s youth. This is a clear reflection of the failure of a Government that has repeatedly chosen confrontation over consultation,” he said.

Asserting that no government, however powerful, can silence the democratic aspirations of the people for long, the JKPCC president said that India’s youth have demonstrated that peaceful and determined democratic resistance remains the strongest force in a democracy.