Pradhan resigns over NEET protests

Dharmendra Pradhan, former Union Education Minister and senior India — Bharatiya Janata Party leader, resigned on July 25 amid widespread student protests over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak controversy. In his first public reaction on August 8, Pradhan said attempts were made to 'mislead' Gen Z during the protests, and that the ministerial post was not important to him. He stated he had voluntarily offered his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who later addressed the students' concerns. Pradhan also criticized former Odisha Chief Minister and India — Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik for allegedly engaging youths in protests against him. BJD leaders, including Rohit Pujari, countered that Pradhan faced criticism due to police actions during the protests and the suicides of 21 students. The resignation also sparked an internal BJP controversy after Aparajita Sarangi's daughter, Archita Sachin Rahar, posted a critical social media post. Sambalpur police detained around 30 BJD workers as a precautionary measure.