Assam CM on minister’s daughter joining NEET protest: ‘Don’t troll her father,’ ‘what she said was not right’

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma appealed to people not to troll Assam minister Keshab Mahanta after videos emerged on social media of his daughter joining a protest against irregularities in the NEET exam.

A protest in Guwahati on Thursday against examination irregularities and demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister drew attention after Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Keshab Mahanta’s daughter Dibisa joined the demonstration.

Clips of her raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanding Pradhan’s resignation have been shared widely on social media.

Mint could not ascertain the veracity of the clips.

Reacting to the videos, Himanta Sarma on Saturday said, “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.”

Sarma said that once children become adults, their actions should not be linked with their parents.

“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,” Sarma said.

Keshab Mahanta, the revenue and disaster management minister of Assam, has not responded to the matter as of now.

CJP calls off 36-day protest after Pradhan resigns

The Cockroach Janta Party on Saturday called off its 36-day agitation after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government accepted its other demands.

It was seen as a momentous win for the unprecedented youth-led movement that galvanised lakhs of people over irregularities in exams and the NEET paper leak.

The announcement came after the third round of talks between the two sides at the Constitution Club of India in Delhi, where Union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.

Pradhan announced his resignation in a statement, saying the developments of the past 10 days had “saddened” him deeply and that the issue was “not a matter of personal prestige”.

Noting that he did not want “anti-national forces” to exploit the situation, Pradhan said he wanted to ensure that “the unity of the nation remains intact”, “the future of even a single student should not become entangled in legal complications” and that students devote their time to studies and building their careers.

“Keeping all these considerations in mind, I have sent my resignation to the Hon’ble Prime Minister,” he said.

Soon after Pradhan’s announcement, the CJP declared that it was withdrawing its agitation after the government agreed to all its remaining demands, including compensation for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak and withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.