Amid the NEET paper leak controversy, an incident from 1997 involving Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is being discussed, where he himself protested a paper leak.
In 1997, Dharmendra Pradhan led a major student protest against a paper leak in Odisha.
At that time, he was the National Secretary of ABVP, and the Congress's Janki Ballabh Patnaik government was in power in the state.
According to reports, Dharmendra Pradhan sustained serious injuries and fractures during police action in the protest.
Now, the opposition is demanding his resignation as Education Minister over the NEET-UG exam controversy.
Pradhan, Facing Heat on Paper Leak, Once Led a Fierce Protest Himself
Odisha | The political atmosphere in the country has heated up over the alleged paper leak and irregularities in the NEET-UG examination. Union Education MinisterDharmendra Pradhan is in the opposition's line of fire, and the demand for his resignation is gaining momentum. Amid this, an old story of his has come into the limelight, when he, as a student leader, took to the streets to protest vigorously against a paper leak.
That Protest of 1997
This dates back to 1997, when Dharmendra Pradhan was an active student leader associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). At that time, there was a Congress government in Odisha, and Janki Ballabh Patnaik was the Chief Minister.
There was massive outrage among students over a paper leak case in the state. Pradhan had then opened a front against the government.
Opened a Front as an ABVP Leader
According to a report by The New Indian Express, Pradhan was the National Secretary of ABVP at that time. Under his leadership, about 1500 students gathered outside the state secretariat and protested against the government.
This protest was taking place just a few kilometers from the CM's residence. Dharmendra Pradhan had entered student politics at the age of 18 and had studied Anthropology at Utkal University.
Was Injured in Police Action
The report states that the protest was initially peaceful, but the situation later changed. The police started taking action against the protesting students.
During this, Dharmendra Pradhan was also badly beaten, which resulted in some fractures. This incident reflects the struggles of his student life.
Journey from Student Politics to Union Minister
The foundation of Dharmendra Pradhan's long political journey was laid by his student politics. He served as the National Secretary of ABVP twice between November 1994 and 1997.
Later, he entered mainstream politics and held several important positions in the central government. Before becoming the Education Minister in 2021, he also served as the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The Same Issue After 27 Years
Almost 27 years later, the same movement of 1997 is back in discussion due to the alleged rigging in the NEET-UG examination. Today, Dharmendra Pradhan himself holds the post of Education Minister and is facing student protests.
In recent days, thousands of students protested in Delhi regarding the NEET issue, where questions were also raised about police action.
Opposition Demands Resignation
The opposition is cornering the government on this issue and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, has clearly stated that a fair discussion on the examination controversy is possible only when the Education Minister resigns from his post.
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