Dharmendra Pradhan had offered to quit on Day 1 of NEET protests, claims Kailash Vijayvargiya

Former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was prepared to step down from the very beginning of the NEET controversy, BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has claimed

PGurus Newsdesk

July 26, 2026

Kailash Vijayvargiya claimed Dharmendra Pradhan had offered to resign on the very first day of the NEET paper leak protests, with the party accepting his decision only after circumstances changed

BJP leader says Pradhan’s resignation was offered long before it was accepted

Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has claimed that former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had offered to resign on the very first day of the nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, but the party leadership initially declined his offer.

Speaking to reporters in Indore, Vijayvargiya said Pradhan, whom he has known since their student politics days, displayed honesty and discipline by placing the party’s decision above personal considerations.

“From the very first day of the movement, he told the party chief, ‘If you feel that I should resign, I would.’ The party chief refused. But when circumstances became such that the party decided he should resign, he did so in a split second,” Vijayvargiya said.

Describing the move as the hallmark of a committed party worker, the BJP leader praised Pradhan for accepting the leadership’s decision without hesitation.

Pradhan resigned on Saturday following weeks of nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, led by demonstrations at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Announcing his decision, he said he stepped down to prevent “anti-national forces” from exploiting the situation and to ensure students remain focused on their education and future.

Backing Pradhan’s decision, Vijayvargiya claimed the resignation had thwarted attempts by “foreign forces” to destabilise India by fuelling unrest, drawing comparisons with developments in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

“I congratulate him for what he has done,” he said.

The Madhya Pradesh minister also targeted the Opposition, accusing it of attempting to derive political mileage from the student protests.

He alleged that while students had initiated the agitation, the Congress later backed the movement after suffering political setbacks, and viewed the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests as an opportunity to regain momentum.

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