New Delhi [India], July 25 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday said that the 'power of the people is greater than any office or authority,' as leaders from Opposition parties described Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as a victory for students, democracy and sustained public pressure following nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities.

In a post on X, Banerjee said the development reaffirmed the strength of democracy and the voice of the people.

'The people in power must realise that the power of the people is greater than any office or authority. One can love their country deeply without having to love the government of the day,' Banerjee posted.

https://x.com/abhishekaitc/status/2080933066730852517

His remarks came after Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet, stating that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by 'anti-national forces.'

Reacting to the development, West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Bandopadhyay said the resignation should have come sooner and urged the Centre to ensure that examination paper leaks do not recur.

'The resignation should have come a little earlier, but better late than never. The Prime Minister has announced some steps, and we expect the government to ensure that there are no further leaks. Strict measures have been announced, but they will only matter if the government prevents future leaks,' Bandopadhyay said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi credited the protesting students for forcing the government to act.

'The way young children were treated... Those children told their stories and showed countless videos of Delhi Police bombarding them with such violence. The outrage that arose in the country as a result of this has forced the government to pay the price for it with this resignation... Those children have done it. They have fought and shown it,' Chaturvedi said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh described the resignation as a landmark moment in the country's democratic history.

'This is a huge victory for crores of youth in this country. We've been saying during our protests that the world follows the path of youth... The government had to accept the youth's demands. They have some more demands; discussions are ongoing, so I consider this a huge victory. For the first time in 12 years, a government minister has been forced to resign, and this will start a tradition of accountability,' Singh said.

He further said the student movement had spread across the country despite attempts to suppress it.

'Despite PM Modi's attempts to crush the movement, he failed... Once again I salute the crores of youth of this country,' he added.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas termed the resignation a triumph of democratic resistance.

'It's a victory of democracy, a victory of the power of people's struggle, resistance, and resilience. From day one onwards, we were here, and we all supported this. It's not a question of one party or two parties. We were fully behind this movement,' Brittas said.

TMC MP Sougata Roy also welcomed the development, saying the Centre had ultimately yielded to students' pressure.

'I am very happy. The government, which was earlier showing itself to be inflexible, had to bow down to the pressure of the students. Sonam Wangchuk was on a fast for 26 days... Parliament was brought to a standstill by the opposition protests. The only condition was that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. Now this gives a new boost to democratic forces in the country,' Roy said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray announced that a public gathering would be held at Mumbai's Shivaji Park to celebrate what he called the students' victory while demanding answers over the police action during the protests.

'There's a celebration tomorrow. Tomorrow, on July 26th, at 10 a.m., everyone will gather at Shivaji Park to celebrate... Everyone demanded that Dharmendra Pradhan resign... There will be a celebration because we have won, but our next question is why the lathicharge?' he said.

Punjab Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchakk said the resignation sent an important constitutional message.

'The resignation has sent a clear message to the people out there. Nobody is above the Constitution. The BJP thought it could contain the youth protests, but I salute the youth who stood against all the odds,' he said.

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) announced the withdrawal of its 37-day agitation at Jantar Mantar after the third round of talks with Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.

Addressing a press conference at the Constitution Club, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das said the organisation was withdrawing its protest 'in good faith' after the Centre accepted its key demands and assured implementation within agreed timelines.

The CJP said the government had agreed to provide suitable compensation to the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide, assured the withdrawal of FIRs lodged against protesters across the country and accepted a roadmap for continued discussions on broader educational reforms through a five-point charter. Another round of talks is expected to be held after four weeks.

The organisation also paid tribute to activist Sonam Wangchuk, saying his 26-day Gandhian satyagraha had 'awakened an entire nation' and served as the moral force that united people across the country in the movement.

Speaking after the developments, Wangchuk welcomed the government's decision, described the resignation as a 'victory for democracy,' and urged students to remain peaceful and humble in victory while focusing on long-term reforms in education and governance.

Meanwhile, the Centre is preparing to introduce a stringent anti-paper leak law providing for Special Fast-Track Courts, a Special Task Force (STF) and other measures aimed at preventing examination malpractices across the country. (ANI)