Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday hailed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, describing it as a major democratic victory achieved through sustained public pressure over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak controversy.
Responding after Pradhan stepped down, Kejriwal congratulated students, young people and the Gen Z generation, saying their persistent protests had compelled the Centre to respond to public sentiment.
“Congratulations to everyone, particularly the youth and the GenZ. Your efforts have paid and Dharmendra Pradhan has finally resigned,” Kejriwal said in a video shared on his X account.
Calling the development a landmark moment, he added, “This is a huge victory for democracy. People had lost their faith in democracy and they were forced to beg in front of the government. But the government was forced to bow down. This is huge victory for the democracy. I hope the government will revamp the NEET system, so exam leaks can finally be stopped in the country.”
Kejriwal urged the Centre to treat the resignation as the beginning of broader reforms rather than the end of the issue. He stressed that restoring credibility to the country’s entrance examination system should now become the government’s top priority to ensure such controversies do not recur.
Backing the party’s stand, senior AAP leader Gopal Rai demanded the immediate release of students who were allegedly detained during protests in Bihar and Gujarat. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Rai accused the Centre of sending mixed signals by holding dialogue with protest representatives while simultaneously taking action against demonstrators.
“The central government is trying to suppress the movement by using police and arresting the youth leaders protesting. While on one hand, the BJP government says they want to resolve this by talking but in reality protestors are being arrested in Gujarat,” Rai said.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned earlier on Saturday after weeks of nationwide protests linked to the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. His resignation has been welcomed by several opposition leaders and protest groups, including the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which termed the decision a victory for democratic and constitutional values. Supporters of the movement have now shifted their focus towards comprehensive reforms aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in India’s examination system.
