Senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has claimed that former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had offered to resign on the very first day of the nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. Speaking in Indore, Vijayvargiya said the party leadership initially declined the offer but accepted it later as the political situation evolved.

Vijayvargiya said he had known Pradhan since their days in student politics and described him as an honest and dedicated party worker. According to him, Pradhan told the BJP leadership that he was willing to step down if the party believed it was necessary. He added that once the leadership decided a resignation was appropriate, Pradhan accepted the decision immediately.

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Friday following weeks of student protests across the country demanding accountability over the alleged NEET paper leak. In his resignation statement, Pradhan said he chose to leave office to prevent what he described as "anti-national forces" from exploiting the agitation for political purposes.

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Backing the decision, Vijayvargiya argued that the resignation had helped counter attempts by "foreign forces" to destabilise India through unrest. He claimed such elements had sought to create instability similar to developments witnessed in countries such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while praising Pradhan's decision to step down in the interest of the party and the country.

The BJP leader also criticised the Opposition, alleging that it had attempted to use the student protests for political gain. He claimed the Congress had supported the agitation after initially remaining in the background and asserted that opposition parties viewed the protests as an opportunity to regain political momentum following recent electoral setbacks.

The controversy surrounding the NEET protests continues to dominate the political landscape, with both the ruling BJP and Opposition presenting competing narratives over the government's handling of the issue. While the BJP has defended Pradhan's resignation as a responsible organisational decision, opposition parties have maintained that it reflects the seriousness of public concerns over examination integrity and accountability.

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