Pradhan spoke about his resignation while addressing students and teachers at GM University this past Saturday, two weeks after stepping down amid large protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the matter.
“Gen Z is our future. Some individuals attempted to misguide them. I had no personal conflicts then. Every year, approximately two crore children are born in India. Over the past decade, 20 crore children have been born. They have ambitions, and they will turn India into the ‘Vishwa Guru’. The position was never my priority,” Pradhan remarked.
He mentioned that he had reached out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed his desire to resign from the Union Council of Ministers.
Pradhan stepped down from the ministry on July 25.
At another gathering in Rairakhol, Pradhan criticized former Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, asserting that he was unfazed by protests from BJD supporters and chants urging him to “go back”.
Addressing a protest by BJD youth and student wing activists near the airport, where chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back” were heard, he said, “I am a farmer’s son. Even if you ask me to leave, I will return.” “Naveen Babu claims I am an embarrassment to the people of Odisha and a bad person,” Pradhan accused the BJD president of inciting youths against him.
“Have I ever done anything to bring shame to the people of Odisha?” he inquired, eliciting a loud “No” from the audience.
“I may not be achieving accolades for the state, but I have never disgraced the people through my actions. I will never conduct any work that tarnishes the state’s reputation,” he affirmed.
Pradhan reflected on becoming a Union minister 12 years ago with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samaleswari, the deity of Sambalpur.
His comments regarding Patnaik were made from a platform that also hosted BJD MLA and deputy leader in the Odisha Assembly Prasanna Acharya.
“Considering the BJD’s protests, I discussed with Prasanna Bhai whether I should attend. Prasanna Babu assured me of a warm welcome. I came here after receiving his consent,” Pradhan explained.
The BJD’s Sambalpur district president and former minister Rohit Pujari responded to Pradhan, stating that the BJP leader had faced backlash due to his handling of the student protests.
“No one has defamed Pradhan. His own party and government have tarnished his image through police violence, including lathi-charges and tear gas during the peaceful student protests at Jantar Mantar. He is under scrutiny because of these incidents. I don’t understand why he blames Patnaik for the police actions against protesting students,” Pujari stated.
“Why would Patnaik aim to defame him? The entire nation knows that 21 children committed suicide because of him. Out of the 22 lakh students who took the exam, around 21 lakh must be in distress. There’s no need for anyone to defame him; he has damaged his own reputation,” the BJD leader asserted.
Pujari added that it was the BJP government’s “flawed policy” that had brought notoriety upon Pradhan.
In the meantime, sources reported that Sambalpur police detained around 30 BJD workers as a precaution, anticipating protests from the party’s youth and student wings.
