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'She may not follow her father…': Assam minister's daughter joins NEET protest; CM Himanta reacts
Dibisa, the daughter of Assam revenue and disaster management minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Keshab Mahanta, joined the NEET protesters.
A protest in Assam's Guwahati over alleged examination irregularities and the demand for Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation took a political turn after Dibisa, the daughter of Assam revenue and disaster management minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Keshab Mahanta, joined the demonstration.
Videos purportedly showing Dibisa participating in the protest and raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while demanding Pradhan's resignation have been widely shared on social media.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the clips.
Assam CM reacts
However, the videos triggered political reactions in the state, with Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma coming out in support of his Cabinet colleague on Sunday.
Sarma said Keshab Mahanta should not be attacked or trolled for his daughter's participation in the protest, arguing that adult children can have political beliefs that differ from those of their parents.
"I don't think we should attack or troll Keshab Mahanta for the protest by his daughter. She may not follow her father's political ideology. Tomorrow when my son will practice law, he may defend someone whom I may not like," news agency PTI quoted Sarma as saying.
‘Will talk to her about it,’ says Sarma
The chief minister said it would be unfair to hold parents responsible for the political choices or public actions of their adult children. He added that once children grow up, they are entitled to make their own decisions and those decisions should not be linked to their parents.
At the same time, Sarma said he did not agree with the slogans raised by Dibisa during the protest. He said he would speak to her personally the next time they met.
"I do not agree with the slogans she raised. When I meet her next time, I will definitely talk to her about it and try to make her understand that what she said was not right," he said.
The protest in Guwahati was held over alleged irregularities in examinations and demanded the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
There was no immediate reaction from Keshab Mahanta on the issue. The news agency PTI reported that attempts to contact the Assam minister for his response were unsuccessful.
(With PTI inputs)
