New Delhi: Senior BJP leaders rallied behind former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan after he tendered his resignation on Saturday and warned protesters at Jantar Mantar that their movement was being infiltrated by opportunists.
The leaders defended the Centre’s response to the crisis while accusing the Opposition of attempting to politicise the student protests.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, while addressing the media, said the government remained focused on protecting students’ interests and highlighted the measures announced in response to the alleged paper leak.
“The central government is working with full urgency and commitment on student interests. Senior leaders are in constant dialogue with students. The PM decided to establish a fast-track court, and yesterday, Parliament passed a very effective bill providing for strict punitive action against paper leaks. Today, ministers Jitendra Singh and J P Nadda are also scheduled to hold talks with the protesting students,” he said.
Trivedi also questioned Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s approach to the issue, alleging that the opposition was more interested in politics than parliamentary debate.
“Meanwhile, LOP Rahul Gandhi has been making statements in various locations within Delhi for the past several days, performing various stunts… But we want to ask why you are shying away from discussions in the Parliament?… This shows that your goal is not to find order and solutions, but to create chaos and turmoil… When the government is ready to discuss this problem and all the issues you have raised, will you participate in the parliamentary debates starting Monday, or will you avoid the debate again,” he wanted to know.
Trivedi also appealed directly to the protesting students, urging them to remain vigilant against what he described as attempts by outside forces to exploit the agitation for political gain.
“We also want to urge the students to be aware that many anarchic and disruptive elements are infiltrating their movement, and many opportunistic power-hungry parties are using their movement as leverage to further their own selfish ends… The government is working to find a solution through meaningful initiatives and positive dialogue,” he said.
Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju also joined other BJP leaders to back the former education minister, praising his contribution to the education sector and thanked him for his service.
“…Dharmendra ji, thank you for your relentless service, your commitment to reforms & your contribution to building a stronger India. I wish you the very best as you continue to serve the nation with the same conviction & sincerity,” Rijiju posted on X.
