Dharmendra Pradhan forced to resign, but Punjab minister in office despite paper leaks, says Congress

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Chandigarh, July 25 (IANS) Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Saturday hailed the resignation of the Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the “victory of the youth of the country against a corrupt and an arrogant regime”.

Reacting to the resignation amid nationwide protests seeking accountability over exam irregularities, Warring said while the Union Minister had been forced to resign, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains was still in office and he must also resign for the repeated paper leaks in Punjab.

Asserting that the fight will go on in Punjab, the Punjab Congress President said the Congress would hold both the state Minister and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to account for the paper leaks.

He also congratulated party leader Rahul Gandhi, who led from the front against the “authoritarian and arrogant government” that was otherwise refusing to budge.

He noted that the Union government was shaken the day Rahul Gandhi led the protest march right at the doorsteps of the Prime Minister’s residence.

He said that Rahul Gandhi had set a great example with standing by the students in the moment of their fight against a “dictatorial and an authoritarian regime”.

On Pradhan’s resignation, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remarked that the youth of the country “cannot be silenced” by anybody.

Priyanka Gandhi said that she got a “little emotional” upon hearing the news.

“It is because, many times over the last 10 or 12 years, I have asked myself, ‘When are our young people going to wake up? Look at what is being done to our country.’ The RSS is filling the entire education system. Every post, every Vice-Chancellor, the ideology of our forefathers has been systematically broken down,” she added.

The Congress MP said: “Force has been used against young people, against anybody who raises their voice in protest. So today I am very happy that the youth of our country have spoken and nobody can ever dare to silence their voice.”

–IANS

vg/khz

Related Posts

Rahul Gandhi most ‘rejected maal’ in Indian politics: Devendra Fadnavis

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday called Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as the “most rejected maal” in Indian politics.

Speaking to reporters, Devendra Fadnavis said, “Rahul Gandhi is the most ‘rejected maal’ in Indian politics. Rejected by all, rejected always, and rejected in every state… The country stands with PM Modi; the country stands behind PM Modi. The country repeatedly blesses PM Modi.”

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to cut fuel use and avoid foreign travel amid the global energy crisis due to the US-Iran war, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remarked that over the span of 12 years, the country has been brought to such a juncture that the public now has to be told what to buy and what not to buy, where to go and where not to go.

Rahul Gandhi took to social media ‘X’ and said, “Yesterday, Modi Ji called upon the public to make sacrifices—do not buy gold, do not travel abroad, consume less petrol, cut down on fertilisers and cooking oil, take the Metro, and work from home. These are not words of counsel; they are evidence of failure.”

He further said the country has been brought to such a state that the public now has to be told what to buy and what not to buy.

“Over the span of 12 years, the country has been brought to such a juncture that the public now has to be told what to buy and what not to buy, where to go and where not to go. Time and again, they shift the responsibility onto the public simply to evade their own accountability. Running the country is no longer within the capability of a “Compromised PM,” he said.

On Sunday, PM Modi urged citizens to avoid buying gold for a year and postpone foreign travel as part of a broader appeal to conserve foreign exchange amid global uncertainty.

Notably, the Prime Minister’s appeal is aimed at strengthening India’s economic resilience at a time when the West Asia conflict, rising energy prices and supply-chain disruptions are increasing pressure on import-dependent economies.

Addressing a BJP rally in Hyderabad on Sunday, PM Modi urged citizens to reduce non-essential foreign exchange outflows, including gold purchases and overseas travel, while stressing the importance of collective public participation amid the current global crisis.

“We have to save foreign exchange by any means,” PM Modi said, calling on people to postpone gold purchases and foreign vacations for one year.

The Prime Minister framed the appeal as part of a broader push for “economic patriotism”, alongside measures such as reduced fuel consumption, greater use of public transport, work-from-home systems, natural farming and support for swadeshi products.

–IANS

jk/dpb

Himachal to set up potato processing plant in Una

Shimla, June 12 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Sukhu on Thursday said a potato processing plant would be set up in Una district at a cost of about Rs 20 crore.

He said the support price for the crop would soon be declared to strengthen the economy of the farmers.

Chairing the state-level multi-stakeholder consultative conference organised by Himachal Pradesh Revitalising Rainfed Agriculture Network here, the Chief Minister said the government was promoting green energy and natural farming in a big way.

The minimum support price had been fixed for crops produced from natural farming, and it would be further increased in the coming times.

Highlighting the importance of natural farming, he said many new schemes would be implemented to boost the rural economy.

Sukhu said that after the north-eastern states, the highest increase in cancer cases had been witnessed in Himachal Pradesh. The efforts were on to find out its root cause, and a change in food habits could also be a main reason for the rise.

The Chief Minister said 80 per cent of the state’s population depends on agriculture for livelihood and is the backbone of Himachal’s economy, contributing about 14 per cent to the state’s GDP. He also expressed concern over the changing pattern of weather that was adversely impacting agriculture.

“This challenge could be faced effectively by taking steps like climate-tolerant agriculture, promotion of pulses, extensive animal husbandry, more use of traditional seeds, laying emphasis on water security and soil conservation, etc.,” he said.

The Chief Minister said traditional seeds and crops grown through natural farming are rich in nutrition and also require less water.

“We need to reuse such traditional crops, and these have to be further improved through research to ensure nutritious food and a clean environment for future generations.”

The Chief Minister also released a book based on the experiences of natural farming on this occasion. He praised the farmers engaged in natural farming and also detailed the efforts being made by the government in promoting this system of agriculture. Padma Shri recipient Nek Ram Sharma apprised the Chief Minister about the conference. He also discussed the importance of millets along with the conservation of water, forests, and land.

–IANS

vg/vd

Rajasthan HC upholds Asaram’s life sentence in minor sexual assault case; will now have to surrender

Jaipur, May 27 (IANS) The Rajasthan High Court’s Jodhpur Bench on Wednesday upheld the life imprisonment sentence awarded to Asaram in the case involving the sexual assault of a minor student. While affirming the conviction, the court acquitted co-accused Shilpi and Sharatchand. Asaram, who is presently out on interim medical bail, will now have to surrender.

The verdict was delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice Arun Monga and Justice Yogendra Kumar Purohit.

Asaram was arrested in August 2013 following allegations of sexually assaulting a minor student at his ashram in Jodhpur. After a prolonged trial, a Special POCSO Court in Jodhpur convicted him on April 25, 2018, sentencing him to life imprisonment. The High Court conducted day-to-day hearings in the appeal from February 16 to April 20, 2026. Following the conclusion of arguments, the Division Bench reserved its judgment on April 20 and pronounced the verdict on May 27.

During the hearings, Asaram’s defence described the case as fabricated and pointed to alleged inconsistencies in the statements of the victim’s parents. The defence argued that no call records established communication between Asaram and the victim on the night of the incident. Invoking the principle of parity, the lawyers contended that since certain co-accused had been acquitted based on the same evidence, Asaram too could not be held guilty.

Opposing the appeal, the prosecution and the victim’s counsel, P.C. Solanki, argued that under the POCSO Act, the testimony of the victim alone can constitute sufficient evidence for conviction, a principle repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court.

They further argued that attacks on and killings of witnesses reflected attempts to destroy evidence and influence the case.

Asaram is already serving a life sentence in another sexual assault case involving a female devotee at his ashram in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. He was convicted in that case in January 2023. The 86-year-old had repeatedly sought bail, citing advanced age and deteriorating health. Acting on directions of the Supreme Court, the High Court had granted interim medical bail, which was extended on multiple occasions. Following the latest verdict, he is now required to surrender to the authorities.

–IANS

arc/dpb