'Students & youth have won': Former K'taka CM Siddaramaiah welcomes Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation

Bengaluru, July 25 (IANS) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Siddaramaiah on Saturday termed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as a "victory for the country's awakened students and youth", and said the development marked a "triumph of democracy and the Constitution".

In a statement, Siddaramaiah congratulated students and youth across the country who had participated in protests demanding accountability from the Union government.

"Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation is a victory for the conscious and determined students and youth of this country. I wholeheartedly congratulate all of them," he said.

Calling it a "victory of democracy and the Constitution", Siddaramaiah praised the protesters for conducting a peaceful agitation in Delhi despite adverse weather conditions, hunger, health challenges and alleged police excesses.

"Lakhs of students and youth camped in Delhi and carried out a peaceful protest without succumbing to provocation, despite facing police high-handedness. They have instilled a new sense of hope in the country," he said.

The senior Congress leader also lauded the role of the party and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi in supporting the movement.

"The Congress party rose to the occasion and discharged its responsibilities as a responsible Opposition party. I congratulate Rahul Gandhi for providing timely and resolute leadership to the movement," Siddaramaiah said.

However, he asserted that the resignation of the Union Education Minister alone would not resolve the issues plaguing the education sector.

"The resignation of the Education Minister will not solve all the problems in the education sector. When the teachers of the school of authoritarianism and misgovernance remain firmly seated in power, the departure of one student cannot reform the institution," he remarked in an apparent reference to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government.

Siddaramaiah also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had commercialised various sectors, including education, and claimed that meaningful reforms would not be possible until there was a change in leadership at the Centre.

"Until Prime Minister Narendra Modi exits office, the education system will not improve, and India cannot truly function as a democratic nation," he said.

The former Chief Minister urged students and youth not to consider Pradhan's resignation as the end of their struggle and called for continued efforts to hold the Union government accountable.

"This is not the time for celebration over the resignation of an incompetent and corrupt Minister. The students and youth of this country must continue their struggle until the incompetent and corrupt government at the Centre is removed. The Congress party will always stand with the people in the fight to protect democracy and the Constitution," Siddaramaiah added.