Countdown to BJP govt's fall has begun, says Aaditya Thackeray

Aaditya Thackeray said the resignation of Pradhan had brought happiness to many people across the country. Pic/Atul Kamble

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday claimed that the countdown to the fall of the BJP-led government had begun, saying the strength of the country's youth had shaken the ruling party, reported the PTI.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai after attending a Tiranga rally organised to celebrate the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Thackeray said the political battle had now become "BJP versus India".

Aaditya Thackeray said the resignation of Pradhan had brought happiness to many people across the country.

He claimed that the growing voice of young people had challenged what he described as an authoritarian style of governance.

"The countdown to the government's fall has begun. The power of the youth and the new India has shaken the government," he said, the news agency reported.

PM will have to answer questions, he says

The former Maharashtra minister said the current generation would continue to question the government and hold its leaders accountable.

He claimed that after Pradhan's resignation, attention would eventually shift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to Aaditya Thackeray, young people would continue demanding answers on issues affecting students and the country's future, as per the PTI.

Thackeray also demanded that all police cases registered against students during protests in Delhi and Mumbai be withdrawn immediately.

He said that the students who participated in demonstrations should not face legal action for raising concerns.

Rally held after Pradhan's resignation

The Tiranga rally was organised following the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Education Minister.

The resignation came after weeks of protests over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET examination.

Protest organisers have claimed the government also agreed to other demands, including compensation for families of students who died by suicide and the withdrawal of cases against protesters, the news agency reported.

Students have shown PM that votes can be ''stolen'', not people: Uddhav

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray hailed students for their nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, saying the agitation marked the beginning of a larger fight against the BJP and proved that "votes can be stolen, but not people", reported the PTI.

"Deshbhakt have defeated andhbhakt", he said addressing a ''Tiranga'' rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai where a massive crowd of youth, mostly college students, waving the national flag and holding posters of the Constitution, gathered to "celebrate" the resignation of Pradhan, according to the PTI.

Despite light rains since morning, the youth in raincoats and under umbrellas carried posters of B R Ambedkar, the chief architect of India''s Constitution, along with creative social media memes that had gone viral during the nationwide protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the news agency reported.

(with PTI inputs)