Education Minister Hits Out at Opposition Over Vote Allegations

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan slammed the Opposition for disrupting Rajya Sabha proceedings, accusing them of spreading misinformation about Maharashtra election data. This comes after research body CSDS apologized for its poll data errors.

Initially reconvening to discuss the IIM (Amendment) Bill 2025, the session was interrupted by protests over alleged 'vote theft' in Maharashtra. Despite Vice Chairperson Bhubaneswar Kalita's calls for decorum, slogans like 'vote chori bandh karo' echoed in the house.

Pradhan criticized the Opposition for creating a negative parliamentary environment. He specifically mentioned funding from the Indian Council of Social Science Research to CSDS, which had admitted its mistakes. Pradhan urged the Opposition to clarify their stance on various issues, including their support for IIM Guwahati.

(With inputs from agencies.)