Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan returned to Odisha on Tuesday for the first time after his resignation from the Union Cabinet, receiving a warm reception from BJP workers who hailed his decision as a “sacrifice in the interest of the youth and the nation.”
Dharmendra Pradhan (Photo:ANI)
Former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan returned to Odisha on Tuesday for the first time after his resignation from the Union Cabinet, receiving a warm reception from BJP workers who hailed his decision as a “sacrifice in the interest of the youth and the nation.”
Hundreds of party workers and supporters gathered at the Biju Patnaik International Airport to welcome the BJP MP, raising slogans in his support and praising his decision to step down from the Union Cabinet. They said Pradhan had put the interests of the youth and the nation above office.
Advertisement
Pradhan was in Bhubaneswar to attend the release of a book on the late VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale attended the programme as the chief guest, while Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was the guest of honour.
Advertisement
Addressing the gathering, Hosabale, Pradhan and Majhi paid tributes to Swami Laxmanananda, recalling his lifelong service to the underprivileged, particularly tribal communities in Kandhamal. They highlighted his efforts to promote Sanskrit education, preserve Indian cultural values and work towards the social and educational upliftment of tribal communities.
The event assumed significance as it came a day after the Odisha government announced a series of measures to honour the slain VHP leader’s legacy. On Monday, Chief Minister Majhi ordered a Crime Branch investigation into the disappearance of files related to the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission, which probed the 2008 assassination of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
The Chief Minister also announced Rs 13 crore from the Chief Minister’s Special Assistance Fund for the development of the Kanyashram at Jalespeta in Kandhamal district, established by the Swami. The assistance will be used to construct a 300-seat girls’ hostel, a boundary wall, improve water supply and create other infrastructure to strengthen educational facilities for tribal girls.
Pradhan’s visit marked his first public appearance in Odisha after his exit from the Union Cabinet, with BJP leaders projecting his resignation as an act of political accountability and commitment to public service.
Advertisement
