GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma defended his cabinet colleague Keshab Mahanta of BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) over his daughter’s participation at a protest against the NEET-UG irregularities.
Social media videos showed Dibisa, the daughter of the minister, speaking out against the NEET-UG paper leak.
“Paper leaks are a national issue. I feel for the students who lost their lives, and I stand for justice for them,” she said at the protest which was organised in Guwahati’s Chachal area on July 23.
She allegedly shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.
Defending the minister, Sarma said parents and children might have differing political views. “I do not agree with the slogans she chanted. I will talk to her when I meet her,” the chief minister said, adding that targeting her father would not be justified.
He was candid in saying that his son and daughter do not agree with him on many things.
“My son will practice law tomorrow, and defend somebody I may not like. We must not link the actions of children with their parents when they are adults,” Sarma said.
He further stated that Mahanta had been entrusted with a major responsibility and was helping the flood affected people. “None of us will gain anything by putting him under mental stress,” Sarma added.
Assam Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta has not issued a public statement or comment regarding the controversy surrounding his daughter's participation in a protest. He is the working president of the AGP which is a key constituent of the BJP-led NDA government.
Hundreds of people, mostly young men and women, had turned up at the protest venue on July 23.
The protestors held placards which read “NEET is not neat,” “Empathy is political,” “Please save our future,” “Scrap NTA” etc, and sang the popular Bollywood number “Give Me Some Sunshine…” from 3 Idiots in unison.
Similar protests were also held in most of the Northeast states in the past week.