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Just two days after stepping down as Union Education Minister amid the NEET paper leak row, Dharmendra Pradhan walked into Parliament on Monday to a hero's welcome from BJP and NDA MPs.

The Odisha MP stepped out of his car smiling, folded his hands in a traditional namaste, and made his way towards Parliament as party colleagues greeted him with chants of "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad". Several MPs surrounded him, showering praise, while one draped him with a ceremonial shawl and placed a traditional cap on his head in a symbolic show of solidarity.

The celebratory scenes came despite Pradhan's resignation following more than a month of nationwide student protests over alleged examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leak controversy.

Opposition Slams Cheer For Pradhan

The Opposition was quick to criticise the spectacle.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury took a sharp swipe at the ruling alliance, saying, "They did the same thing with the rapists of Bilkis Bano. It is their habit."

Her remarks referred to the controversy surrounding the 2022 early release of the 11 men convicted in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case, when visuals of their public felicitation outside Godhra jail triggered widespread outrage.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the BJP MPs are welcoming Pradhan as if he has achieved some great feat and asked the government about the lathi charge and firing of pellet guns on students.

"Today, BJP MPs are welcoming former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as if he has achieved some great feat. The country has already seen how, instead of apologizing for the paper leak in his resignation, Pradhan accused the students themselves of being misled, and after that, all central ministers praised him on social media. We believe that this entire episode is utterly shameful and a grave insult to the country's youth. The BJP should make it clear whether, despite the paper leaks, the crumbling education system, the lathi charges on students, and the firing of pellet guns, Pradhan's work was commendable? If not, then what is this honor for? And if yes, then does the BJP want to send this very message to the country's youth and students? The country demands answers," Ramesh said in a post on X. 

Dharmendra Pradhan Resigned

Pradhan resigned on Saturday after sustained protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that emerged in the wake of the alleged NEET paper leak. What began as demonstrations at Delhi's Jantar Mantar gradually spread across the country, with students demanding accountability and sweeping reforms to India's examination system.

Announcing his resignation on X, Pradhan said he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the larger interest of students.

"I am pained by the events of the past few days. This is not a matter of personal prestige for me. India's youth are the nation's greatest strength, and we must ensure they are not trapped in a web of confusion," he said.

The resignation came shortly before the third round of talks between government representatives and the CJP. Following the meeting, the outfit announced that its key demands had been accepted and formally called off its nationwide protest.