Assam CM defends minister after daughter joins NEET protest

A political controversy in Assam has been defused by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who defended a cabinet colleague after the minister's daughter participated in a protest against a national exam scandal. Sarma argued that adult children should not be judged by their parents' political affiliations.

The incident centers on Dibisa, daughter of Assam Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, who was seen in widely shared social media videos joining a demonstration in Guwahati on July 23. The protest, focused on alleged irregularities and a paper leak in the NEET-UG medical entrance exam, featured slogans demanding the resignation of then-Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and included chants critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In response to online criticism directed at Minister Mahanta, Chief Minister Sarma publicly came to his ally's defense on July 25. Sarma stated that Mahanta should not be targeted for his daughter's actions, emphasizing that parents and their adult children can hold differing political views. He illustrated his point by noting that his own son, upon becoming a lawyer, might defend clients he personally dislikes. However,...