Protesters celebrate Union Minister Pradhan’s resignation in Hisar

The protesters who have been supporting the ongoing agitation of the students in Delhi broke into celebrations after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned due to the nationwide protests over the alleged NEET paper leak case.

In Hisar, youth activist Pradeep Bhankhar, who had been on a hunger strike for the past three days outside the Mini Secretariat, ended his fast and celebrated by dancing to the beat of drums along with his supporters.

Political parties also reacted to the development as the INLD Youth Wing Bhiwani district president Sandeep Ghanghas described the resignation as a victory of students' sustained struggle. He alleged that repeated paper leaks had shattered the aspirations of young people and said the resignation alone was not enough. He demanded action against policemen accused of using force on protesting students and withdrawal of cases registered against them.

The CPM also welcomed the resignation, congratulating students and youth who had campaigned for accountability in the paper leak case. District secretary Om Prakash said the victory was made possible by the determination and sacrifices of students despite police brutality. He demanded the dissolution of the National Testing Agency (NTA), decentralisation of examinations and withdrawal of the National Education Policy, 2020, alleging that these reforms were essential to prevent recurring paper leaks.

Haryana Congress leader in Hansi Gayatri Devi termed the resignation a victory for millions of students. She said the development showed that the voices of young people could not be suppressed and also accused the Centre of attempting to crush peaceful protests through force instead of addressing students' concerns over transparency and fairness in the examination system.