New Delhi: Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down from his post following a student agitation, has now broken his silence for the first time. The senior leader and Sambalpur MP made a startling statement on Saturday, alleging that attempts were made to mislead ‘Gen Z’ during the protests surrounding the NEET paper leak issue.
This situation led to his resignation from the post of Union Education Minister. Nearly two weeks after stepping down, the former minister elaborated on the matter. You can read the details of what else he said below.
What Dharmendra Pradhan Said
Speaking to students and teachers at GM University nearly two weeks after the protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Dharmendra Pradhan made significant remarks. He addressed the issue of his resignation, stating, “Gen Z are our children. Some people tried to mislead them. It was not a personal issue for me.
“About two crore children are born in India every year; 20 crore children have been born in the last decade. They have their own aspirations and will make India a ‘Vishwa Guru’ (global leader). The post was not that important to me.” He further added that he had contacted PM Narendra Modi and expressed his intention to resign. Notably, acceding to the students’ demands, Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned from the ministry on July 25, 2026.
Targeting the Odisha CM
While addressing a meeting, Dharmendra Pradhan aimed at former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. He stated that he was not bothered by the protests and ‘go back’ slogans raised by BJD workers. He referred to the demonstration held by BJD’s youth and student wing activists near the airport, where slogans like “Dharmendra Pradhan, go back” were shouted.
He added, “I am a farmer’s son. Even if you tell me to go back, I will return.” Accusing the BJD president of involving youths in protests against him, Pradhan said, “Naveen Babu calls me a source of shame for the people of Odisha and a bad person.
He then asked, “Have I ever done anything that caused embarrassment to the people of Odisha?” He stated, “I may not be bringing honour to the state, but I have never let my actions cause embarrassment to the people.
“I will never do anything that tarnishes the state’s reputation.” He further added that he had become a Union Minister 12 years ago with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Maa Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur.
