Siddaramaiah demands removal of Pralhad Joshi as education minister over past remarks
Siddaramaiah demands removal of Pralhad Joshi as education minister over past remarks
M.U.H
30/07/202621
Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticised the appointment of Pralhad Joshi as the Union Education Minister, alleging it has left Kannadigas “ashamed” and calling for Joshi’s immediate removal from the position.
In a post on X on January 31, 2026, Siddaramaiah stated, “We should have been proud that a Member of Parliament from Karnataka had become the country’s Education Minister. Instead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appointed Pralhad Joshi – an MP who defended those convicted of raping a woman – leaving Kannadigas ashamed.”
He further claimed that Joshi and the outgoing Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are “ideological twins,” both having entered politics through the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Siddaramaiah added, “Pralhad Joshi is no different from outgoing Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Ideologically, they are twins. Both entered politics through the RSS-affiliated ABVP and share the RSS’s outlook towards women, Dalits, the poor, backward communities, Muslims and Christians. That is why Joshi has been brought in to replace Pradhan. Only the face has changed; the direction remains the same. He, too, will act according to the instructions of the RSS. During the Gujarat riots, Bilkis Bano was subjected to gang rape. Pralhad Joshi defended the Gujarat Government’s decision to release those convicted in the case on the grounds of “good conduct” and spoke in their support.”
Siddaramaiah also noted that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have raised the issue in Parliament and demanded the removal of Joshi from the Education Ministry. “Our concern now is what will happen to the country’s education system under a person with such views. Leader of the Opposition @RahulGandhi and MP @priyankagandhi have exposed Pralhad Joshi in the Lok Sabha and placed the truth before the country. Their voices may be silenced inside Parliament, but the voices of crores of people across the country cannot be suppressed. It may not be long before Joshi follows the same path as Dharmendra Pradhan,” he said.
He reiterated that Joshi would “act according to the instructions of the RSS” and maintained that “only the face has changed; the direction remains the same.” Siddaramaiah added, “If Prime Minister @narendramodi has even the slightest concern for teachers and students, he must immediately remove @JoshiPralhad from the Education Ministry and entrust this important portfolio to someone who is genuinely qualified.”
On January 31, 2026, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi assumed additional charge of the Ministry of Education.
