'Garlanded as if he won a war': Oppn attacks BJP over Pradhan's felicitation

NEW DELHI: A political row erupted in Parliament on Tuesday after the BJP's public felicitation of former Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who resigned over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, drew sharp criticism from the Opposition. Congress leaders accused the ruling party of celebrating a minister who resigned amid one of the country's biggest examination crises, saying he was welcomed "as if he were a superstar" and "had returned from a war against Pakistan".The controversy stems from Monday's scenes at the Parliament complex, where BJP and NDA MPs welcomed Pradhan with chants of "Dharmendra Pradhan zindabad", draped him in a traditional stole and cap, and escorted him into the House in a show of solidarity just two days after his resignation.What opposition saidCongress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led the opposition's attack, calling it "shameful" that BJP MPs welcomed Pradhan in Parliament despite his resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak controversy. "Don't you think it is shameful? Everyone saw the circumstances under which Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, but yesterday in the Parliament premises, he was welcomed as if he were a superstar!" she said. She also accused the government of continuing to target students despite the controversy. "No one can trust the Modi government, because even today, students are being harassed. I saw some Instagram handles with photographs of women alleging that they did such and such thing...Do you want to engage in talks to resolve this matter or you are still after the students, wanting to suppress them? This is wrong," Priyanka Gandhi said. Speaking during the debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi echoed the criticism, saying Pradhan had been welcomed "as if he had returned from a war against Pakistan." "...21 children lost their lives; they committed suicide. The minister under whose watch 21 children lost their lives, when he resigned from his post and returned to the House yesterday, you garlanded him as if he had returned from a war against Pakistan," Gogoi said.The BJP's show of solidarity came after Pradhan resigned on Saturday following sustained protests over the alleged NEET paper leak. He has since been replaced by Union minister Prahlad Joshi. Meanwhile, the government has announced a series of measures to overhaul the examination system, including a high-powered task force headed by Nandan Nilekani, proposed amendments to the anti-paper leak law, and fast-track courts to deal with examination fraud cases.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.