Dharmendra Pradhan breaks silence on resignation over NEET paper leak: ‘Some tried to mislead GenZ’

Days after resigning as the Union Education Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday that attempts were made to "mislead" Gen Z during the protests over the NEET paper leak issue, which prompted him to quit the post.Dharmendra Pradhan stepped down as the education minister on July 25, 2026, after student protesters sought accountability and Pradhan's resignation over the alleged irregularities in the NEET paper.Pradhan breaks silencePradhan broke his silence on his resignation while addressing students and teachers at GM University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.“I have been a victim of Gen Z. For some time, the way this whole episode unfolded, I felt some people tried to mislead the children of the new generation,” Pradhan was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying.Pradhan reportedly said he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his permission to acknowledge the aspirations of the younger generation rather than allow their grievances to be exploited for political ends.“PM Modi agreed and later addressed the issue himself,” he said.“I met the Prime Minister and requested him to agree to the desire of Gen Z. I told him to allow me to acknowledge this in front of the children. I never staked my personal honour in the matter,” he said.“The Prime Minister accepted this, and later he himself spoke about it in front of the children," Pradhan said, as per HT.Meanwhile, news agency PTI quoted Pradhan as saying, “Gen Z is our children. Some people attempted to mislead them. I had no personal issues then.”“At least two crore children are born in India every year. During the last 10 years, 20 crore children were born. They have aspirations, and they will make India the 'Vishwa Guru'. The post was not important to me,” he said.He said he had approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi and offered to resign from the Union Council of Ministers, PTI reported.His remarks came as PM Modi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat stepped up efforts to engage with Gen Z, which has emerged as a major political force following the protests.'I will never tarnish...'At another meeting in Rairakhol, Pradhan hit out at former Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik, saying he was not disturbed by protests by BJD workers and slogans asking him to "go back".Pradhan also accused the BJD president of engaging youths in protests against him.Referring to a protest by BJD youth and student wing activists near the airport, where slogans such as "Dharmendra Pradhan Go Back" were raised, he said, "I am a farmer's son. Even if you tell me to go back, I will come back.""Naveen Babu also calls me a disgrace to the people of Odisha and a bad person," Pradhan was quoted by PTI as saying."Have I ever done anything that will shame the people of Odisha?" he asked, drawing a loud response of "No" from the gathering."I may not be bringing laurels for the state, but I have never disgraced the people by my work. I will never do any work which will tarnish the state's reputation," he said.Pradhan said he became a Union minister 12 years ago with the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Goddess Samaleswari, the presiding deity of Sambalpur."Keeping in view the BJD's protests, I had consulted Prasanna Bhai whether I should go. Prasanna Babu told me to come and assured me that I would be welcomed. I came here after taking his permission," Pradhan said.Pradhan 'has defamed himself'BJD's Sambalpur district president and former minister Rohit Pujari hit back at Pradhan, saying the BJP leader had been criticised over the handling of the student protests."Nobody had defamed Pradhan. His party and government have defamed him by police resorting to lathi-charge, tear gas and atrocities during the peaceful student agitation at Jantar Mantar. Pradhan was facing criticism because of such incidents. I do not understand why he blames Patnaik for the police excesses on agitating students," Pujari said."Why would Patnaik want