‘Completely Baseless’: BJP Rejects Reports On Dharmendra Pradhan Portfolio Change

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Tuesday dismissed as "completely baseless" reports claiming that the Centre had considered shifting Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry before his resignation as Union Education Minister.

The Puri MP said that the report had “no basis” and published only to “sensationalise the issue”.

The clarifications came after reports emegred that Centre discussed the possibility of assigning Pradhan another portfolio during the negotiations with Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

Addressing reporters, Patra said, "This morning, when I read the newspapers, I saw that a well-known and respected English-language newspaper had published a headline regarding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The report claimed that during negotiations between Union ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh and representatives of the CJP, the central government proposed changing the education minister's portfolio and assigning him another ministry, with a new education minister set to take charge today. The newspaper further reported that the CJP objected to this proposal and, as a result, the respected minister had to resign."

Rejecting the account, Patra said the claim had no factual basis.

"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. It has no authenticity and has been published solely to sensationalise the issue," he said.

Pradhan resigned as Union education minister following more than a month of protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and demonstrations in other parts of the country over the NEET paper leak controversy.

The CJP later called off its agitation after multiple rounds of talks with Union ministers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Jitendra Singh.