NEET leak row puts NDA families in spotlight as daughters back protest
The daughters of two BJP-affiliated politicians in India have publicly expressed support for student protests regarding the NEET paper leak. While the politicians face criticism, party leaders have defended the right of the adult children to hold independent political views.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between political party discipline and the personal autonomy of family members in the context of high-stakes national student protests.
GUWAHATI/BHUBANESWAR: BJP found itself on the defensive Sunday after the daughters of two politicians publicly broke ranks over the NEET protest, prompting Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to defend his cabinet colleague Keshab Mahanta while Odisha BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi's office backed her daughter's right to express her views.In Assam, revenue and disaster management minister and senior AGP leader Keshab Mahanta came under attack after his daughter, Dibisa Mahanta, was allegedly seen at a student protest in Guwahati on Thursday demanding then Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over the alleged NEET paper leak. Purported videos also showed her criticising the Centre and opposing police action against protesters.Defending his colleague, Sarma said parents could not be held responsible for the actions or political views of their adult children. "How can I answer what my son and daughter will do? Nowadays, children do not always listen to their parents...
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