Congress MPs Push for Dharmendra Pradhan’s Resignation Amid Exam Paper Leak Scandal

On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha saw a rare showdown when Congress leader KC Venugopal rose to move an adjournment motion that directly targeted Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The crux of the motion? A demand that the minister step down over a spate of exam paper leaks that have rattled the nation’s education system.

Venugopal’s appeal was not a thinly veiled criticism; it was a full‑blown call for the minister to make a suo‑motu statement, explain the leaks, and take moral as well as constitutional responsibility. “The Government must discuss the NEET and CBSE issue, the wave of exam‑related suicides, and the broader crisis in education,” he wrote, adding that all cases against students who had peacefully protested the previous day should be withdrawn.

He pointed out that, despite the scale of the fraud, not a single meaningful arrest has been made. “No serious action against the coaching syndicates, the officials, or anyone directly involved,” Venugopal stressed, accusing the minister of staying in office without any accountability – a clear breach of the principle of ministerial responsibility.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Hibi Eden from Ernakulam filed a separate adjournment notice, this time focusing on the police response to student demonstrators gathered near Parliament. Eden warned that the House could not be a “silent spectator” as reports emerged of lathi‑charges and tear‑gas being used against thousands of students who were simply exercising their constitutional rights.

According to Eden, the force used was disproportionate and potentially unlawful, raising grave concerns about the protection of freedoms of speech, assembly, and expression. “The manner in which the protest was handled has shocked the conscience of the nation,” he wrote, urging Parliament to uphold democratic values.

The two motions together paint a picture of an education sector under siege – plagued by paper leaks, student suicides, and a policing approach that many say stifles legitimate dissent. While the government has yet to respond formally, the opposition’s demand for Pradhan’s resignation adds fresh pressure on a ministry already wrestling with criticism.

As the debate unfolds, students, teachers, and parents across the country are watching closely, hoping that the parliamentary push will translate into concrete action – whether that means resignations, reforms, or at the very least, a transparent inquiry into the leaks.