Videos surfaced on social media showing Assam minister Keshab Mahanta’s daughter Dibisa protesting in Guwahati against alleged examination irregularities, including the NEET paper leak.
Responding to criticism over the clips, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday defended his Cabinet colleague.
The Assam CM, addressing a press conference, argued that children may not always follow the political ideology of their parents.
Sarma further drew a parallel with his own family and said, “My brother doesn’t listen to me. My children also don’t obey many of my words. Your political ideology doesn’t have to be similar to the parents’. I am hurt about what she said against PM Modi. I will talk to her when I meet her.”
The daughter of Assam revenue and disaster management minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader Keshab Mahanta, Dibisa, joined the protest in Guwahati over alleged examination irregularities.
Videos that reportedly surfaced on social media purportedly showed Dibisa participating in the protest. The clips could not be independently verified by HT.
‘Mahanta is now in such a position…’: Assam CM
Assam CM Sarma further said that Mahanta should not be mentally burdened over his daughter’s actions.
Currently, Mahanta is tasked with helping flood-affected people in Assam.
“Keshab Mahanta is now in such a position, and it is his duty to help the flood-affected people of the state. We will not benefit if we burden him mentally,” he said.
“Don’t be shocked if my son says anything wrong. Tomorrow, if my son becomes a lawyer, he may work for someone whom I don’t like. There is no point in dragging parents after children become adults,” Assam CM added.
Assam CM on Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation
The country saw weeks of demonstrations over the alleged examination irregularities, and the protesters demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union education minister. Subsequently, he resigned from the position on Saturday.
Speaking about Pradhan’s resignation, Assam CM Sarma said he believed history would assess the former education minister positively for his role in implementing the National Education Policy (NEP).
“That was his personal decision. But I have also tweeted. Dharmendra Pradhan ji helped us a lot for Assam. We have just set up the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Assam. It was Pradhan ji who did it for us,” he said, according to news agency ANI.
“And for his major role in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP), I believe history will definitely assess Dharmendra Pradhan ji positively… But I believe history will judge him as a person who implemented NEP in India,” Sarma added.