Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has welcomed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, calling it a "huge step" towards rebuilding the country's education system and congratulating students who took part in protests demanding accountability.
In a video message, Gandhi said Pradhan's resignation was both a "symbolic step" and a "political step", while crediting students and young people for taking to the streets and raising their voices over issues concerning education and the future of the country.
"Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is a huge step in the rebuilding of our education system. It's a symbolic step, a political step, but it is a big step," Gandhi said.
He also praised the students and young people who participated in the protests, saying they had "fought for democracy, fought for the future of this country, and defended the Constitution."
"I'm proud of you. Well done," he added.
Rahul Gandhi says two demands still remain
While welcoming Pradhan's resignation, Gandhi said two demands raised during the protests had yet to be addressed.
The first, he said, was that those responsible for violence against students should be held accountable. Gandhi said that anyone who ordered or carried out attacks against students should face action.
"Anybody who ordered to attack our students, beaten them, shot at them, has to be held accountable. People who organised it, people who implemented it, all have to be punished," he said.
His second demand was an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi said the Prime Minister should apologise to students "out of respect" for them and for the future of the country.
"The Prime Minister of India, out of respect for the students of India, out of respect for the future of India, has to apologize to the students who were brutalised and attacked," he said.
Gandhi urges other sections of society to raise their voice
Gandhi also used the occasion to appeal to other sections of society, including farmers, labourers and economically disadvantaged people, to stand up against what he described as government oppression.
"There is wisdom and courage in standing up. Don't stop," he said, while urging people to continue raising their voices through constitutional means.
He further accused the government of attacking India, weakening the Constitution and capturing institutions, and called for its removal.
Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns
Pradhan announced his resignation as Union Education Minister on Saturday. In an official letter shared on social media, he said he was stepping down in the larger interest of students and to ensure that the country's youth do not become "trapped in a web of confusion."
His resignation comes amid a period of heightened political and student activism around education-related issues and demands for accountability.
Reacting to the development, Gandhi said Pradhan's resignation should be seen as a beginning rather than the end of the matter, reiterating his call for accountability for alleged violence against students and an apology from the Prime Minister.
