Pradhan's Resignation Victory for India's Youth: Mehbooba Mufti

Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday welcomed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling it a victory for the youth of the country.

"I think it's a victory for the youth of India. The youth who stood there for so many days, hungry and thirsty, and they absolutely did not indulge in any violence," Mufti told reporters, adding that "Gandhi's India is reclaiming its space now".

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the participation of Kashmiri youth in the protest showed that the idea of India was alive.

"The youth who don't believe in division, who don't believe in Hindu-Muslim, who don't believe in polarisation, they have preserved the idea of India in this country," she said.

"The way they welcomed us, I feel India is in safe hands now because the Indian youth have risen to the occasion," she added.

Mufti said Pradhan's resignation was the first step towards reclaiming what India should look like.

Asked whether the resignation sent a message to the Centre that arrogance had no place, she said it was an overall message that "polarisation and the Hindu-Muslim card cannot work beyond a point".

On the issue of rights for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti said the people of Jammu and Kashmir should get more than just their basic rights as "they have lost a lot".

She said the youth of the country should now also take up the issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pradhan resigned from his post on Saturday following the Cockroach Janta Party-led student protests across the country for his ouster over the NEET paper leak controversy.

Pradhan said it is not a matter of "individual prestige" for him and he is disturbed to see the series of events that have unfolded in the last 10 days.

"I took responsibility for the NEET paper leak from day one," he said, adding he has sent his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pradhan said that anti-national forces should not be allowed to take advantage of the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country.