Wayanad (Kerala), Jul 25 (PTI) Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying the government had been “forced to bend” before the youth and students of India.
Vadra termed the development a victory for the country’s youth and students, “who did not bend”.
“Force was used against them. Pellet guns, water cannons and tear gas were used against them. But the youth and the students did not bend; the government had to bend. It is a victory for the youth and students of India,” she told reporters here, following reports of Pradhan’s resignation.
“I was really and truly happy when I heard the news,” she added.
She said she became emotional because she had been wondering for the past 10-12 years, “When will we wake up? When will our young people realise what is being done to our country and how it is being destroyed by these people?” “I am so happy today that the young people of India, the students, have fought this battle bravely and have won it,” Vadra said with a smile.
She said that the government bending to the will of the students was “a lesson” for every ruler of the country “from now to forever”.
“You have to listen to the will of the people. In this country, this is a democracy. The will of the people is paramount. There is nothing above it, no human being, no single leader, no dictator.
“No force can stop the will of the Indian people. Today, our students and young people have proved it. This is the beginning. The youth of our country has spoken and nobody can dare to silence their voice,” she said.
She said the country’s students had begun taking matters into their own hands and had proved that “if you stand up for what is right, every right-thinking Indian, everyone who believes in the Constitution, everyone who respects the freedom struggle, will stand by you”.
The Congress MP said the students had also shown that if one stood against all odds in the way Mahatma Gandhi did “non-violently, truthfully, with courage in your hearts” they would prevail, no matter who they were up against.
She complimented all those who stood by the students’ movement led by her brother Rahul Gandhi, the Congress and its youth wing in support of those protesting against alleged irregularities in various examinations, including NEET.
Vadra posted on X: “The youth of India have started to take our country back from those who tried to suppress their voice… Today is the day an undemocratic and oppressive government was forced to bend to the will of the people of India.” “To all you boys and girls who stand unflinchingly for what is right, don’t ever let your spirit be oppressed. You are the soul of our beautiful nation. Stay strong and brave always,” she added.
Later, at an event to felicitate those involved in the rescue operations following the July 7 landslide in Wayanad that claimed eight lives, Vadra said that just like rescuers, who put before them something bigger than themselves, thousands of students across India protested for their rights by putting the future of India ahead of them.
“Every attempt at applying force on them and oppressing their voices on the part of the government failed. Their will has prevailed and the government has been forced to bend to their demand for the Union Education Minister’s resignation.
“So, today is also a day that we renew our hope in the vibrancy of our democracy, in the strength of our people, and we feel proud that we have a younger generation willing to serve, willing to build a future, willing to put themselves forward at all costs,” the Congress MP said.
Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister over the NEET paper leak row, saying it was not a matter of “individual prestige” for him.
Vadra also appreciated the work done by the rescuers, saying “you have served your country by serving your countrymen” and that they should be proud of themselves.
“When you are looking for people buried in the mud and rubble, you don’t ask which state they come from, you don’t ask what their religion is, you don’t ask what their caste is, you don’t ask what their age is, what their gender is.
“You simply reach out to a fellow human being, a fellow Indian, and you help them.
This love, this compassion, this courage, and this sense of duty is what built our nation. This love, this compassion, this courage, and this sense of duty is what built our nation. This is the spirit of India, this is the spirit of our independence, revolution, and this is the spirit we must keep alive at all costs,” she said at the event. PTI HMP ROH
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