Education Minister resigns after protests; Pawar, Thackerays hail democratic revival

Veteran politician Sharad Pawar on Saturday said his advice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold talks with protesting youth may have been heeded, as the government accepted key demands including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader said the government should not have used force against students. “In response to the insistent demand of the protesters, the Union Education Minister has finally resigned today. This fight, which was firmly against oppression without fear and forced the government to accept moral responsibility against injustice, is a symbol of the power of democracy. This is a major victory for the unity of the youth power in the country,” he added.

Protest rallies turned celebratory in Mumbai, where Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray congratulated the youth. The cousins will proceed with a joint ‘Tiranga March’ on Sunday morning, originally planned as a protest but now styled as a victory celebration.

“The youth have brought the country out of an atmosphere of fear. The protests have shown that dictatorship cannot be imposed on the country,” Uddhav Thackeray said at a joint press conference. He questioned the use of pellet guns, water cannons and nail-embedded sticks against protesters, and alleged that goons had been infiltrated into the demonstrations. Raj Thackeray commended the Mumbai police for their restraint, contrasting their behaviour with that of the Delhi Police.

Both leaders appealed to Mumbaikars to join them at Shivaji Park at 10 a.m. on Sunday for the march.