‘Dharmendra Pradhan Zindabad’ Chants in Parliament Trigger Fresh Political Clash Over Exam Crisis

Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan received an enthusiastic welcome from BJP and NDA MPs at the Parliament complex on Monday, July 27, 2026, just two days after resigning amid intense political pressure and nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Party colleagues assembled near the Makar Dwar entrance, raised slogans of “Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad” and escorted him into the complex after presenting him with a ceremonial cap and shawl. Pradhan responded with folded hands as the ruling alliance displayed public solidarity with the senior BJP leader, signalling that his departure from the Education Ministry had not diminished his standing within the party. The reception immediately drew criticism from the Opposition, which argued that celebrating the former minister so soon after his resignation sent an insensitive message to students and families affected by the examination controversy. Congress MPs simultaneously demonstrated inside the Parliament complex, raising slogans such as “Shiksha Chori” and “Chor Chor, Paper Chor” while demanding accountability for alleged examination irregularities and an apology over the use of force against protesters. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh described the felicitation as shameful and an insult to the country’s youth, alleging that Pradhan had failed to offer an adequate apology for the paper-leak controversy. Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury also strongly criticised the BJP’s gesture, linking it to what she described as a broader political culture of honouring controversial figures. The BJP and its allies, however, appeared to frame the welcome as an expression of personal and political support for Pradhan rather than a celebration of the examination crisis. Pradhan had announced his resignation on July 25, saying the issue was not a matter of personal prestige and that he was distressed by the events of the preceding days. The President subsequently accepted his resignation from the Union Council of Ministers, and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi was given additional charge of the Education Ministry before formally assuming office on July 26. The confrontation in Parliament unfolded as the government moved to strengthen its response to examination malpractice through a proposed amendment to the Public Examinations law, a high-powered examination-reform task force and plans for faster proceedings in paper-leak cases. The episode therefore became more than a dispute over parliamentary slogans: it highlighted the sharply different political narratives surrounding Pradhan’s resignation. For the BJP, the reception demonstrated loyalty to a senior leader who stepped down while reforms were being initiated; for the Opposition, it represented an attempt to honour a minister whose resignation followed a major crisis of public confidence. No court has established Pradhan’s personal involvement in the alleged paper leak, but the controversy continues to raise broader questions about ministerial accountability, examination security, police conduct during demonstrations and whether the government’s announced reforms will restore students’ trust.