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 has appealed to people not to troll Assam Minister Keshab Mahanta after videos of his daughter joining a protest against irregularities in the NEET examination surfaced on social media.

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

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

The Mint could not determine the authenticity of the clips.

Reacting to Himanta Sarma’s videos, he said on Saturday, “I don’t think we should attack or troll Keshab Mahanta because of his daughter’s protest. He may not follow his father’s political ideology. Tomorrow, when my son practices law, he may defend someone I may not like.”

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

“I don’t agree with the slogans she raised. Next time I meet her, I will definitely talk to her about it and try to make her understand that what she said was not right,” Sarma said.

Assam Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta is yet to respond to the matter.

The CJP called off the 36-day protest after Pradhan resigned

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 major victory for the unprecedented youth-led movement that had galvanized thousands over exam irregularities and the NEET paper leak.

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

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

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

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

Soon after Pradhan’s announcement, the CJP said it was withdrawing its agitation after the government agreed to all the remaining demands, including compensation to the families of students who allegedly committed suicide after the NEET paper was leaked and withdrawal of the FIR against the protesters.