Dharmendra Pradhan Says He Quit After Attempts Made To Mislead Gen Z During Neet Protests

Senior BJP leader and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said attempts were made to mislead Gen Z during protests over the NEET paper leak, saying the controversy prompted him to offer his resignation as Union Education Minister.Pradhan, who resigned from the Union Council of Ministers on July 25, spoke about his decision while addressing students and teachers at GM University in Sambalpur. His remarks came exactly two weeks after he stepped down amid massive protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the issue. Gen Z is our children. Some people attempted to mislead them. I had no personal issues then. At least two crore children are born in India every year. During the last 10 years, 20 crore children were born. They have aspirations, and they will make India the 'Vishwa Guru'. The post was not important to me, Pradhan said.He said he had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign from the Union Council of Ministers.Pradhan hits back at BJD protestsAt another meeting in Rairakhol, Pradhan also responded to protests by BJD workers and slogans calling on him to go back , saying such demonstrations did not bother him.The remarks came in the backdrop of a protest by BJD youth and student wing activists near the airport, where demonstrators raised slogans such as Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back . I am a farmer's son. Even if you tell me to go back, I will come back, Pradhan said.He also criticised former Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, alleging that Patnaik had called him a disgrace to the people of Odisha and a bad person and accused him of involving youths in protests against him. Have I ever done anything that will shame the people of Odisha? he asked, drawing a loud response of No from the gathering. I may not be bringing laurels for the state, but I have never disgraced the people by my work. I will never do any work which will tarnish the state's reputation, he said.Pradhan said he became a Union minister 12 years ago with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur.His remarks against Patnaik came from a dais also attended by BJD MLA and deputy leader in the Odisha Assembly Prasanna Acharya. Pradhan said he had consulted Acharya before attending the event amid the BJD's protests. Keeping in view the BJD's protests, I had consulted Prasanna Bhai whether I should go. Prasanna Babu told me to come and assured me that I would be welcomed. I came here after taking his permission, Pradhan said.BJD accuses Pradhan of blaming PatnaikBJD's Sambalpur district president and former minister Rohit Pujari rejected Pradhan's allegations, saying the BJP leader had faced criticism over the handling of student protests. Nobody had defamed Pradhan. His party and government have defamed him by police resorting to lathi-charge, tear gas and atrocities during the peaceful student agitation at Jantar Mantar. Pradhan was facing criticism because of such incidents. I do not understand why he blames Patnaik for the police excesses on agitating students, Pujari said. Why would Patnaik want to defame him? The whole country knows that 21 children died by suicide because of him. Of the 22 lakh students who appeared for the examination, around 21 lakh students must be under depression. Nobody needs to defame him; he has defamed himself, the BJD leader claimed.Pujari said it was the BJP government's wrong policy that had brought a bad name to Pradhan.Meanwhile, sources said Sambalpur police detained around 30 BJD workers as a precautionary measure, anticipating protests by the party's youth and student wings.(With inputs from PTI)