Opposition demands removal of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan before monsoon session

The Congress party intensified its criticism of the Union government on July 18 after Sonam Wangchuk was shifted from the Jantar Mantar protest to a hospital. In a series of posts on X, senior leader K.C. Venugopal argued that the centre should have taken the more responsible step of dismissing Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan rather than uprooting a peaceful demonstrator.

Venugopal said the move was “disgraceful” and warned that the public will eventually punish those responsible. He called for the immediate removal of Pradhan from his cabinet portfolio before the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, urging the opposition to keep up its agitation until the demand is met.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Kheda added that the constitutional right to raise one’s voice should never be treated as a “law‑and‑order” problem. He also slammed the Home Ministry’s stance, describing it as an attempt to weaponise democratic rights.

The party also questioned the recent appointment of Delhi’s new police commissioner, suggesting that the officer’s actions reflect a bias towards the ruling party over constitutional obligations.

These statements come as the government faces growing scrutiny over its handling of peaceful protests, with the opposition framing the episode as evidence of an increasingly authoritarian turn.