Moral Responsibility And Political Messaging: Why Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation Is More Than Just A Demand Fulfilled

Jagran Bureau, New Delhi: Following the student protests, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has resigned, but the BJP doesn't want this to be seen as a victory for the opposition. The message it wants to convey is that Pradhan, despite his innocence, resigned only to take moral responsibility due to the insistence of young students.

The saffron party made sure to send the message through its social media and parliament posturing. When Pradhan arrived at the Parliament House complex on Monday, several BJP MPs greeted him with "Zindabad" slogans and presented him with a traditional Mithila cap and a turban. However, the opposition called this a shameful act.

The strategy was well understood by political experts from the day Pradhan resigned, as it was clearly visible in his resignation letter. The government has been firm on its stand that the leak problem was at the systemic level, which needed an overhaul, but not at the ministerial level.

In his resignation letter, Pradhan refrained from taking direct responsibility for the paper leak and instead took moral responsibility. He had explained that he was guided by an objective to keep students away from the exploitation of the anti-social and anti-national elements.

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Pradhan stated in his resignation letter, "I do not want any anti-national forces to exploit this sensitive situation. The nation's unity must remain intact, and the future of any innocent student must not be entangled in legal complications. With these considerations in mind, I have submitted my resignation to the Prime Minister."

Subsequently, all the Union ministers praised Pradhan on social media, which was intended to manifest that Pradhan's resignation was a way to reflect that the government keeps an attentive and receptive approach towards the aspirations of the country's youth, especially Gen Z.

I am a street fighter, not an AC room activist: Dharmendra Pradhan

Meanwhile, in the Parliament corridors, when Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had a brief conversation with Pradhan over his resignation, he said, "It happens." To this, Pradhan's reaction was quick - "Nothing happened." He also quipped, "I'm a street fighter, not an AC room activist." However, the opposition also remained aggressive.

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Jairam raised the issue of sloganeering in his X post. He said, "Today BJP MPs are welcoming former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as if he has achieved some big achievement."