Rajnath Singh's old 'no resignation in NDA govt' remark viral after Pradhan's exit

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's 2015 remark that "NDA ministers do not resign" resurfaced after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned amid nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak row.

In Short

• Rajnath Singh's 2015 remark on ministers not resigning resurface
• Dharmendra Pradhan resigns amid NEET exam protests
• Second Union Cabinet minister to quit in Modi govt's 12 years

An old remark by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on ministers not resigning in the NDA government resurfaced on social media on Saturday after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister amid nationwide protests over the NEET examination controversy.

Pradhan's resignation marks the second time in the Narendra Modi government's 12-year tenure at the Centre that a Union Cabinet minister has stepped down from office. Against the backdrop of the major political developments, a clip from Rajnath Singh's June 24, 2015 press conference has gone viral online.

In the viral clip, Singh said, "Our ministers do not have to resign. This is not their (Congress) government, this is the NDA government." He made the remark while ruling out the resignation of any minister during the Lalit Modi controversy.

Responding to questions over the Congress's demand for the removal of then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Singh had said, "Our ministers do not have to resign. This is not their (Congress) government, this is NDA government."

At the time, Swaraj and Raje faced Opposition's criticism for allegedly helping former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi procure travel documents in the United Kingdom. Raje's son, Dushyant Singh, had also come under attack, while the Opposition threatened to disrupt the Monsoon Session of Parliament unless action was taken against Swaraj and Raje.

However, the long-standing record of ministers not stepping down in the Modi government has now been broken following Pradhan's resignation amid the NEET examination row. Before Pradhan's exit, the last minister to resign from the Union government was Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, who stepped down on October 17, 2018 after allegations against him during the MeToo movement.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday as student protests over the alleged NEET paper leak and examination irregularities continued across the country.

Students and various student organisations had been protesting at Delhi's Jantar Mantar against the alleged paper leak and irregularities in the examination process. Activist Sonam Wangchuk had also joined the movement with an indefinite hunger strike in support of the students. He ended his fast on Friday, July 24, after which speculation intensified over whether Pradhan would continue as Education Minister or resign.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke borrowing the iconic Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. catchphrase, "Subah ho gayi mamu," to take a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi moments after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation. The remark, delivered from the stage at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, was greeted with loud cheers as celebrations broke out, with Dipke hailing the Education Minister’s resignation as a "victory of democracy".

Pradhan had faced sustained demands for his resignation from students, the Opposition and several political parties.

On July 20, clashes broke out between security personnel and protesters during the Cockroach Party's "Chalo Parliament" march, with videos of the confrontation going viral on social media. Demonstrations have since continued in several parts of the country.

Before his resignation, government sources had maintained that Pradhan would not step down. In an apparent effort to contain public anger and address the crisis, the government on Friday night also initiated strict action against 47 employees of the National Testing Agency.

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