Dharmendra Pradhan a 'big liability', should have quit: Renuka Chowdhury

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is "a big liability" who should have resigned voluntarily instead of embarrassing his own government, senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury said, as her party staged an unprecedented dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in New Delhi on Tuesday (July 21).

Also read: Pradhan slams Congress for 'shamelessly exploiting students as political tools'

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has demanded the resignations of Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Pradhan, and heavy police deployment marked the scene outside 7, Lok Kalyan Marg through the day. The Federal spoke to Chowdhury, Congress MP, at the protest site.

Today's dharna was unprecedented, and many people have never seen a protest like this. What is your opinion about it?

It's nothing new for us as the Congress party. We have fought for the freedom of this nation, and we have fought on many occasions. We have sacrificed so much. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are not ordinary citizens — that kind of sacrifice and that kind of leadership is in their blood, and they have come to the front. They have come into the middle of the street with the common man.

Look at those who are in power today — how many thousands of police were brought here, how many different departments were deployed. They are sitting inside and shivering. That's their problem. Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka lost their grandparents, lost their parents (sic), but they are in the middle of the people — by the people, for the people, of the people.

Also read: All Congress leaders, CJP protesters released from detention; Wangchuk shifted to Medanta

Do you think the government will take any action after this dharna, like meeting the demand for the education minister's resignation?

If they had any intelligence, they should have done it by now. If Dharmendra Pradhan had any common sense, he should have resigned voluntarily. He has embarrassed his government. He is a big liability because of one man's failure and incompetence, and he is still sticking to his job. These people have had to pay this price and this embarrassment. Serve them right. This dharna was kept such a secret that intelligence and the police had no clue about it — it was pulled off successfully. The failure of intelligence is the result of this.

Finally, do you expect any resolution during the Monsoon Session of Parliament?

Let us see. We will wait and watch.