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Nearly three decades before becoming India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan was himself on the streets demanding accountability over an examination paper leak.

In 1997, Pradhan was a young leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and served as its national secretary. When allegations of a question-paper leak surfaced in Odisha, he reportedly led around 1,500 students in a demonstration outside the state secretariat against the Congress government.

Accounts of the protest claim that the gathering was initially peaceful but turned violent after police carried out a lathi charge. Pradhan was allegedly severely beaten and suffered multiple fractures while protesting for an investigation and action against those responsible for compromising the examination.

Nearly 30 years later, the same leader is facing protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with students demanding his resignation and accountability from the Union government.

The irony has intensified after Pradhan attacked the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, whose supporters have been protesting against repeated examination irregularities. Viral clips quoted him as calling the protesters the "B-team of terrorists," while another published version translated his description as the "B-team of disruptive elements." He alleged that people rejected by democracy had returned in disguise to target the system.

The resurfaced episode has now triggered sharp reactions online. Critics have questioned why a paper-leak protest was considered legitimate when Pradhan led it against a Congress government, but today's students are being portrayed as dangerous or politically motivated for demanding similar accountability.

Supporters of the government argue that the present movement has political backing and cannot be compared directly with the 1997 agitation. Protesters, however, maintain that their central demands remain limited to examination transparency, justice for affected candidates and responsibility from those controlling the education system.

Nearly three decades before becoming India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan was himself on the streets demanding accountability over an examination paper leak.

In 1997, Pradhan was a young leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and served as its national secretary. When allegations of a question-paper leak surfaced in Odisha, he reportedly led around 1,500 students in a demonstration outside the state secretariat against the Congress government.

Accounts of the protest claim that the gathering was initially peaceful but turned violent after police carried out a lathi charge. Pradhan was allegedly severely beaten and suffered multiple fractures while protesting for an investigation and action against those responsible for compromising the examination.

Nearly 30 years later, the same leader is facing protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with students demanding his resignation and accountability from the Union government.

The irony has intensified after Pradhan attacked the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, whose supporters have been protesting against repeated examination irregularities. Viral clips quoted him as calling the protesters the "B-team of terrorists," while another published version translated his description as the "B-team of disruptive elements." He alleged that people rejected by democracy had returned in disguise to target the system.

The resurfaced episode has now triggered sharp reactions online. Critics have questioned why a paper-leak protest was considered legitimate when Pradhan led it against a Congress government, but today's students are being portrayed as dangerous or politically motivated for demanding similar accountability.

Supporters of the government argue that the present movement has political backing and cannot be compared directly with the 1997 agitation. Protesters, however, maintain that their central demands remain limited to examination transparency, justice for affected candidates and responsibility from those controlling the education system.

Nearly three decades before becoming India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan was himself on the streets demanding accountability over an examination paper leak.

In 1997, Pradhan was a young leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and served as its national secretary. When allegations of a question-paper leak surfaced in Odisha, he reportedly led around 1,500 students in a demonstration outside the state secretariat against the Congress government.

Accounts of the protest claim that the gathering was initially peaceful but turned violent after police carried out a lathi charge. Pradhan was allegedly severely beaten and suffered multiple fractures while protesting for an investigation and action against those responsible for compromising the examination.

Nearly 30 years later, the same leader is facing protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with students demanding his resignation and accountability from the Union government.

The irony has intensified after Pradhan attacked the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, whose supporters have been protesting against repeated examination irregularities. Viral clips quoted him as calling the protesters the "B-team of terrorists," while another published version translated his description as the "B-team of disruptive elements." He alleged that people rejected by democracy had returned in disguise to target the system.

The resurfaced episode has now triggered sharp reactions online. Critics have questioned why a paper-leak protest was considered legitimate when Pradhan led it against a Congress government, but today's students are being portrayed as dangerous or politically motivated for demanding similar accountability.

Supporters of the government argue that the present movement has political backing and cannot be compared directly with the 1997 agitation. Protesters, however, maintain that their central demands remain limited to examination transparency, justice for affected candidates and responsibility from those controlling the education system

Nearly three decades before becoming India's Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan was himself on the streets demanding accountability over an examination paper leak.

In 1997, Pradhan was a young leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and served as its national secretary. When allegations of a question-paper leak surfaced in Odisha, he reportedly led around 1,500 students in a demonstration outside the state secretariat against the Congress government.

Accounts of the protest claim that the gathering was initially peaceful but turned violent after police carried out a lathi charge. Pradhan was allegedly severely beaten and suffered multiple fractures while protesting for an investigation and action against those responsible for compromising the examination.

Nearly 30 years later, the same leader is facing protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, with students demanding his resignation and accountability from the Union government.

The irony has intensified after Pradhan attacked the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party, whose supporters have been protesting against repeated examination irregularities. Viral clips quoted him as calling the protesters the "B-team of terrorists," while another published version translated his description as the "B-team of disruptive elements." He alleged that people rejected by democracy had returned in disguise to target the system.

The resurfaced episode has now triggered sharp reactions online. Critics have questioned why a paper-leak protest was considered legitimate when Pradhan led it against a Congress government, but today's students are being portrayed as dangerous or politically motivated for demanding similar accountability.

Supporters of the government argue that the present movement has political backing and cannot be compared directly with the 1997 agitation. Protesters, however, maintain that their central demands remain limited to examination transparency, justice for affected candidates and responsibility from those controlling the education system