Sarma Defends Cabinet Colleague After Daughter Joins NEET Examination Protests
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the public to stop targeting Minister Keshab Mahanta over his daughter’s participation in NEET-related demonstrations. Sarma emphasized that adult children maintain their own political identities independent of their parents.
Political Independence and the Generation Gap
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has intervened in a growing social media controversy involving Dibisa Mahanta, the daughter of Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta. Video footage circulating from a July 23, 2026, protest showed Dibisa demonstrating against alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). During the event, she reportedly called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and raised slogans directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the backlash on July 25, 2026, Sarma argued against holding parents accountable for the ideological choices of their adult children. He noted that the younger Mahanta is entitled to her own political stances, even if they diverge from the positions held by her father’s party, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP).
The Limits of Parental Accountability
The Chief Minister used a personal analogy to illustrate his point on individual autonomy. Sarma suggested that his own son might one day represent legal clients who hold views contrary to his own. He highlighted several key points regarding the situation:
- Children should not be viewed as ideological extensions of their parents once they reach adulthood.
- Minister Keshab Mahanta should not face public trolling or personal attacks for his daughter's activism.
- While Sarma disagrees with the slogans raised during the protest, he maintains that the responsibility for those words lies solely with the individual protestor.
Sarma indicated he intends to discuss the matter with Dibisa personally in the future to clarify his perspective on her statements. As of late July, Minister Keshab Mahanta has not issued a public statement regarding his daughter’s participation in the protest movement. Currently, the veracity of the specific video clips captured during the July 23 demonstration has not been independently verified.
Source: The Hindu — News
