Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng on Saturday celebrated Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, calling it “a historic day for the youth in India.”
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In another post, Lyng shared a video showing celebrations at Jantar Mantar following the education minister’s resignation on July 25.
Also read |What’s ‘pending’ after Dharmendra Pradhan resigns: CJP lists updated demands
Earlier in May, Lyng drew attention online after questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his reluctance to take questions from the media. “Why don’t you take some questions from the freest press in the world?” she asked during a joint media appearance, with the clip later gaining widespread traction on social media.
Also read |Helle Lyng, who questioned PM Modi’s media policy in Norway, hails redux in Australia, NZ: ‘Impact spreading’
At the time, Modi was in Oslo for a two-day official visit. As he concluded a joint press appearance with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and walked away, Lyng called out to him. However, the Prime Minister did not respond.
Pradhan’s resignation
Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, after weeks of massive student protests in Delhi seeking his resignation over exam irregularities, particularly the NEET-UG paper leak.
Pradhan announced his resignation from the post on X. He said that he was taking the decision keeping the future of students in mind. “…To ensure that anti-national elements are not benefitted by the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country, that the nation remains united, students in India do not get tangled in legal complexities and focus on their studies and their career, I have tendered my resignation to the Prime Minister…,” the letter reads.
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The development comes a day after spokespersons from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the Abhijeet Dipke-led outfit that has been leading the protests, met union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.
After the meeting, the CJP had said that the government had sought day’s time to decide on Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
What’s ‘pending’ after Dharmendra Pradhan resigns
CJP said that while one of its key demands had been met with the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the remaining demands were still pending, asserting that the protest at Jantar Mantar would continue until they were addressed.
Also read |‘Time has come to remove this government’, Rahul Gandhi says as Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid CJP protest
In a post on X, the CJP shared an updated list of its demands, marking Pradhan’s resignation as fulfilled while reiterating its calls for ₹1 crore compensation to the families of students who died by suicide, no action against student protesters, and a public apology from the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Delhi Police.
CJP welcomes Pradhan’s resignation
Cockroach Janata Party on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Pradhan.
“Kaha jaata tha iss sarkar main istife nahi hote. Jhukti hai duniya, jhukaane vaala chahiye,” Abhijeet Dipke said.
“We have done it,” he said noting that this is the first resignation from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Visuals from the protest site showed the protesters celebrating after the news of the resignation of the minister.
