New Delhi, Jul 27: The Congress on Monday lashed out at the BJP over its MPs welcoming former education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the Parliament House complex, with Rahul Gandhi saying it was not an honour but a celebration of the ruined futures of lakhs of children.
Two days after his resignation following large-scale student protests, Pradhan was welcomed by some party colleagues in the Parliament complex with a traditional cap and stole, and shouting “Pradhan Zindabad”.
Opposition MPs also raised slogans such as “Chor, chor, paper chor” and hit out against the ruling party for felicitating Pradhan.
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi said, “Dharmendra Pradhan is — and will always remain — a symbol of corruption and India’s ruined education system. That very system claimed the lives of 26 children and forced lakhs of youths to take to the streets.”
Gandhi said Pradhan had to resign not out of moral conscience, but out of fear of the youth’s outrage.
“And today, the BJP is garlanding that very same person in Parliament. This is not an honour; it is a celebration of the ruined futures of lakhs of children. Every student in the country is watching this, and will remember every face involved,” Gandhi said.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the BJP MPs were welcoming Pradhan as if he had achieved some great feat.
“The country has already seen how, instead of apologising 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,” Ramesh said in his X post in Hindi.
He further said the BJP should make it clear why it is honouring Pradhan.
“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 honour for? And if yes, then does the BJP want to send this very message to the country’s youth and students?” the Congress leader asked, adding that the country demands answers. (PTI)
