TNI Bureau: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das said the Congress would intensify its agitation in Odisha and seek the removal of School and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gond, warning that students and youth in the state should create a movement similar to the protests witnessed at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Speaking to reporters after returning from Delhi, Bhakta Das said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was a victory for students and democracy. He claimed that the resignation was the result of sustained protests by students across the country and nationwide demonstrations led by the Congress under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.

However, Bhakta said the Congress agitation would not stop with Pradhan’s resignation. He alleged that several issues related to the education system still remain unresolved and said the party would continue its campaign for broader reforms in the sector.

Targeting the Odisha government, Das raised concerns over errors found in school textbooks and said the issue had affected students across the state. He demanded the resignation of School and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gond and warned that the Congress would launch a stronger agitation until action is taken.

The OPCC chief also expressed surprise that students and youth in Odisha had not yet launched a large-scale protest over the textbook controversy. He said he hoped young people in the state would come forward and raise their voices on issues affecting education.

Bhakta Das further clarified that the Congress would continue its ongoing protest programmes, including candlelight marches, satyagrahas and block-level demonstrations. He said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was only one of several demands raised by the party and that all protest activities would continue until the remaining demands are addressed.