New Delhi/Bhubaneswar/Guwahati38 minutes ago
Although the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) student movement ended after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, discussions about it are still continuing.
During the protests, many students and young people openly demonstrated against the government. The movement has now also reached the families of BJP leaders.
In the past few days, two cases have come to light in which the daughters of BJP leaders were reportedly linked to the movement.
The first is from Odisha, where alleged Instagram posts by Archita Rahar, daughter of BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, went viral. According to the claims, Archita wrote, “I will not delete my post.”
The second case is from Assam, where Dibisa Mahanta, daughter of Assam Minister Keshab Mahanta, was seen taking part in a protest over the NEET paper leak.
During the protest, she was also seen raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
On the issue, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Keshab Mahanta should not be criticised for his daughter’s actions.
Read both cases
1. Alleged posts by BJP MP’s daughter go viral
Alleged Instagram posts linked to Archita Rahar, daughter of Odisha BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, have gone viral, claiming she supported the protesting students.
According to screenshots shared on social media, Archita allegedly wrote, “My family is with DP (Dharmendra Pradhan), but I am with the students.” In another alleged post, she reportedly said that she was being pressured to delete the post, but added, “I will not delete it.”
The screenshots quickly spread across platforms including X, Instagram and Reddit.
Many social media users praised Archita, saying she had expressed an independent opinion despite coming from a political family. Others questioned whether the posts were genuine.
However, the screenshots have not been independently verified. According to reports, their authenticity could not be confirmed. Archita’s Instagram account is also currently unavailable. It is unclear whether she deactivated it herself, whether it was removed, or whether it is unavailable for another reason.
So far, neither Archita Rahar nor Aparajita Sarangi has issued an official statement on the viral posts. The claims therefore remain unverified.
2. Assam minister’s daughter joins protest
Dibisa Mahanta, daughter of Assam Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, took part in a protest in Guwahati over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
During the protest, demonstrators also demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Videos circulated on social media appeared to show Dibisa raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanding Pradhan’s resignation. However, PTI could not independently verify the videos.
Responding to the issue, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Keshab Mahanta should not be criticised because of his daughter’s participation in the protest.
He said, “When children grow up, their thoughts and decisions should not be linked to their parents.”
However, Sarma also said that he did not agree with the slogans raised by Dibisa. He added, “The next time I meet her, I will speak to her and try to explain that what she said was not right.”
So far, Keshab Mahanta has not commented publicly on the matter.
