Pradhan’s resignation a warning against dictatorship, says Asad Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hailed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET paper leak row as a “victory of truth over falsehood,” crediting students’ protests for forcing accountability. He condemned police action against demonstrators, recalled pellet gun use in Kashmir, and stressed that democracy must function within Ambedkar’s constitutional framework.

Moradabad (UP):  All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday termed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as a “victory for right over falsehood”.

He said that if the Modi government believed it could do whatever it pleases, the students’ movement has sent a clear message that dictatorship will no longer be tolerated.

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Speaking to reporters here, Owaisi said, “This is a victory of truth over falsehood, a triumph for all those young people, their struggle, and their sacrifices; I extend my congratulations to them.”

If democracy is to function, it must operate within the framework of the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, he said.

The AIMIM chief said the whole world has seen the videos of young men and women whose heads were smashed with lathis. The matter has also gone to the Delhi High Court, and now perhaps the Supreme Court will hear it as well.

Referring to the use of pellet guns, Owaisi said, “Recall when they were used in Kashmir. If I am not mistaken, over a thousand people were hit by pellet guns there. Among them, 50-60 people lost their eyesight completely. Regarding the four youths against whom pellet guns were used in Delhi, there ought to be an investigation into that.”

Owaisi said the government avoided yielding to protesters for 36 days but ultimately had to come around.

Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday over the NEET paper leak row, stating that it was not a matter of “individual prestige” for him, but that he was disturbed to see the series of events that unfolded in the last 10 days.

The resignation comes amid Cockroach Janta Party-led protests at the Jantar Mantar, demanding the education minister’s accountability over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking process, besides seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.