BJP Dismisses Report on Portfolio Change Offer to Pradhan as 'Baseless'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday rejected a report published by The Indian Express that claimed the government had offered to change Dharmendra Pradhan's portfolio before his resignation. The party described the report as 'completely baseless, entirely fictional and unfounded.'

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra stated: 'Today, as the official spokesperson of the party, after reviewing the entire matter, I want to make it absolutely clear that this report published in a respected English newspaper is completely baseless. It is entirely fictional and unfounded. This news has no basis.'

The Indian Express had reported on Tuesday that before Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, the government had proposed a change in his portfolio as a compromise solution to the protesting students of the Central University of Jharkhand (CJP). According to the report, J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh, the two ministers representing the government, suggested during discussions with the CJP that students could end their protest if a new Education Minister was appointed and all other subsidiary demands were met. The CJP reportedly insisted that Pradhan would have to go.

Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on Saturday. The BJP's denial does not address the broader context of the resignation or the protest.