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From protest to cheers: How the mood changed at Eco Garden in Lucknow
Thousands of students and young supporters had gathered at the protest venue since early afternoon, carrying placards and banners seeking Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in national entrance examinations
What began as a protest demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan at Lucknow’s Eco Garden on Saturday quickly turned into a celebration after Bhim Army founder and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad announced from the stage that the minister had stepped down.
Thousands of students and young supporters had gathered at the protest venue since early afternoon, carrying placards and banners seeking Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over alleged irregularities in national entrance examinations. As Azad was about to begin his address, news of the resignation reached the stage. The announcement was greeted with loud cheers as protesters celebrated by distributing chocolates and sweets, raising slogans and tearing up posters they had brought against the education minister.
Azad said the nationwide agitation had been planned in phases and that Saturday’s protest was only the beginning. “On July 23, we announced that on July 25 we would hold peaceful protests at district headquarters across the country. Today was only the first phase. If the government had not accepted our demand, we would have gheraoed state assemblies across the country, followed by a foot march from Lucknow to Delhi or from Saharanpur to Lucknow. If it still refused to listen, we were prepared to launch a ‘Jail Bharo’ movement. We had resolved not to let the injustice done to the country’s youth or their demands go unheard. The government has accepted our primary demand by accepting Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation,” he said.
Azad termed the resignation “a victory of the Constitution and the younger generation.”
“We will not tolerate anyone playing with the future of the country’s youth,” he said, adding that the movement had shown the strength of democratic protests and compelled the government to respond.
Several protesters described the resignation as a victory for students.
Azad warns against action on Jauhar University
During his speech, Azad also strongly opposed the proposed action against Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur, alleging that authorities were preparing to use bulldozers against the institution.
“If a bulldozer is sent to Jauhar University, it will have to pass over us first,” he said, claiming that nearly 3,000 students study at the university and their future was being put at risk.
Calling educational institutions “temples of learning”, Azad argued that the Rampur Development Authority’s proposed action was legally untenable. He claimed that when the university was constructed, the area did not fall under the authority’s jurisdiction and questioned how it could now initiate demolition proceedings after the area was brought within its limits through delimitation.
The Nagina MP also launched a sharp attack on the state government, warning that those allegedly preventing peaceful protests and resorting to “hooliganism” would be held accountable if his party came to power. “We have won one battle today. When we are in power, those suppressing democratic protests will have to answer for their actions,” he said.
Day-long protest in Barabanki
Under the banner of Bhim Army Barabanki, members staged a day-long protest against the alleged police lathi-charge in Delhi and examination paper leaks. The demonstration was led by district patron Shiv Baran Singh, an advocate, and attended by district president Subhash Chandra Rawat, Student Federation district president Rishabh Deshmukh, and other party workers.
