Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation on Saturday gave ammunition to the Opposition parties to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre.Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav, who had thrown his weight behind the protesters by joining a sit-in near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence alongside Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, welcomed the news of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union education minister. (FILE PHOTO)The Opposition parties termed it a major victory for the country’s youth and stated that the government would now learn a lesson to prevent future exam paper leaks.Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav, who had thrown his weight behind the protesters by joining a sit-in near Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence alongside Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, welcomed the news.Speaking to the media in Azamgarh, where he visited the residence of Alam Badi, the Nizamabad MLA who passed away on July 23, Yadav said the resignation has filled the youth with joy and celebration. He criticised the government for not acting earlier, which he claimed could have saved many lives, and asserted that Gen Z’s sustained pressure had forced the administration to acknowledge the paper leaks.“The youth and Gen Z gave slogans and posters which fought against the negative politics of the BJP. This is a major win, they have defeated the world’s so-called biggest political party,” Yadav declared. He urged all political parties to learn lessons from the episode, prevent future leaks, and focus on creating new employment avenues for youngsters.“We have full faith that the public will vote for change (in 2027). More concrete steps will have to be taken in the field of education; socialists will take the people on the path of development and prosperity,” Yadav added.Condemning the alleged lathi-charge on the youth, Yadav praised the courage of the protesting students and affirmed that the Samajwadi Party stands firmly with youths, students and farmers.A Samajwadi Party delegation led by Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav had earlier visited Jantar Mantar to support the students, with pictures of her helping those injured in the police lathi-charge on July 20 going viral on social media.Dimple Yadav, in her first reaction on X, saluted the students’ courage and persistence that led to the minister’s exit. “Dear children, this win belongs to you,” she wrote, while expressing deep regret over the pain, assault, trauma, and humiliation the protesters endured. She called for systemic change to root out deep-rooted corruption so that the dreams of India’s youth could be fulfilled.Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Rai credited Rahul Gandhi and the relentless youngsters for the outcome. He described it as a win for the Congress leader and every common citizen, and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi investigate Pradhan and take strict action against him.Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati also welcomed the decision, though she noted it should have come earlier. She demanded stringent action against police officials involved in the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, especially male officers accused of misconduct against young women, and called for the withdrawal of all FIRs lodged against the students.In her post on X, the BSP president wrote, “The decision by Union education minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to resign today, prompted by the protests of the country’s students and youth, is appropriate, though it would have been better had this step been taken earlier. Furthermore, our party expects the Central government to take strict action against the police personnel who brutally assaulted the unarmed young men and women peacefully protesting at Jantar Mantar with batons and sticks, leaving many of them seriously injured. Specifically, the male police personnel who engaged in crude, shameful misconduct and used force against the young women must be identified; strict legal action, including disciplinary and criminal proceedings, should be taken against them to ensure no one dares commit such heinous acts in the future.”“Additionally, the government should withdraw all FIRs or complaints filed against the protesting students and youth. This would spare them the ordeal of repeatedly visiting police stations and courts - which could jeopardise their futures and help foster an atmosphere of harmony in the country. I also urge all the protesters not to allow any political party to politicise their struggle and to ensure that their own futures are not ruined in the process,” the BSP chief added in her post on X.