In 1997, Dharmendra Pradhan led a student protest against a paper leak in Odisha: Report

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is currently facing widespread calls for his resignation following the NEET UG examination paper leak. Amidst this controversy, reports have emerged detailing Pradhan's past activism, specifically his role in leading a student protest against a paper leak in Odisha nearly 30 years ago.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, former associates of Pradhan recalled a protest he led outside the Odisha secretariat in 1997. Dr. Prasant Kumar Rout, Principal of RMD Degree College in Bhubaneswar and a junior of Pradhan's at the time, stated that Pradhan was serving as the national secretary of the RSS's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), when the protest occurred.

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We staged a protest against the Odisha government, in front of the secretariat. Around 1,500 students joined us there.

Rout described the 1997 demonstration, which involved approximately 1,500 students, as a peaceful protest against the Odisha government. However, he alleged that the protestors faced police brutality. "Pradhan was badly beaten up that time. He had a few fractures too," Rout claimed, adding that despite the violence, Pradhan continued his fight against the paper leak. This incident reportedly solidified his position as a prominent student leader in the state.

Now, almost three decades later, Pradhan finds himself on the opposite side of a similar issue. The recent NEET UG paper leak has intensified demands for his resignation, with various opposition parties, including Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and NCP-SP, supporting the protesting students. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has been particularly vocal, organizing protests and demanding accountability from the central government.

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We were quite scared. Pradhan was badly beaten up that time. He had a few fractures too.