GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday 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 also shouted slogans against PM Narendra Modi and demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.
Defending her father, 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 CM 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 practise 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. Mahanta, the state’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister, did not say anything. He is the working president of the AGP, which is a key constituent of the NDA government.
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 the movie ‘3 Idiots’ in unison.