New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reacted to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan amid protests over alleged examination irregularities, describing it as a "huge step" towards rebuilding India's education system.

In a post on social media platform X, Gandhi congratulated students across the country who participated in protests and said their actions represented a stand for democracy, the Constitution and their future.

Gandhi said two demands remained after Pradhan's resignation. He called for an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to students and demanded action against those responsible for alleged violence against protesters.

He also praised students for maintaining a constitutional approach and said that courage involved standing up for the rights and dignity of farmers, labourers, the poor and other sections of society.

Later, while addressing a press conference, Gandhi said the resignation was a victory for students and described education as the foundation of India's future.

"The education system which used to be our pride, the whole world acknowledged that the education system of India is very good," Gandhi said, adding that he believed the system had faced challenges over recent years.

Gandhi alleged that the education system was being weakened through "capture" and "privatisation" and said Pradhan represented what he described as failures in the education sector.

"Pradhan is a symbol. A symbol of corruption, a symbol of destruction of the education system, a symbol of incompetence," Gandhi said, adding that the government would now have to take concrete steps to reform education.

He also raised allegations regarding the influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the education system, claiming that the issue required attention. The BJP and RSS have rejected similar allegations in the past.

Gandhi further stated that he would oppose any move to shift Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry, saying, "I will not allow if Dharmendra Pradhan is shifted to any other ministry."

The resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan came after a prolonged student agitation over alleged examination irregularities, including concerns related to paper leaks. The protests included a 26-day hunger strike by activist Sonam Wangchuk and a month-long agitation by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar.

Following Pradhan's resignation, the CJP announced the withdrawal of its protest after the Centre agreed to key demands, including assurances on withdrawal of cases against protesters, compensation for families of NEET-related suicide victims and further discussions on education reforms.

The government has maintained that it has taken steps to address examination-related concerns, including investigations into alleged irregularities, stricter anti-paper leak measures and plans for stronger examination security mechanisms.