NEW DELHI: The NEET paper leak controversy has spilled into the internal corridors of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday afternoon-amid a 36-day student protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar-a viral Instagram post by the daughter of a prominent BJP MP created a major political stir.
Shortly after the announcement of Pradhan’s resignation, Archita Sarangi, daughter of Bhubaneswar BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, shared a headline of the news on her Instagram story alongside a direct message aimed at the former minister’s personal staff.
“Also, for DP’s (Dharmendra Pradhan) PA, who will definitely message my mother asking to delete my previous story (as has happened before) – don’t bother, I won’t delete it. Jai Jagannath! Jai Hind!” she wrote.
Shortly after the post went viral across social media platforms, Archita’s Instagram account disappeared. It remains unconfirmed whether the account was deactivated by her voluntarily, removed due to a technical issue, or temporarily suspended.
Archita Sachin Rahar is the daughter of former IAS officer and current Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi. While not active in mainstream politics, she frequently shares her opinions on social and current issues online. Her recent post triggered sharp reactions, with some social media users supporting her stance while others criticized the move.
In contrast to her daughter’s post, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi publicly defended Dharmendra Pradhan. Sarangi, a former 1994-batch IAS officer who won the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat in 2024 by over 35,000 votes against the BJD candidate, praised Pradhan’s decision. She stated that Pradhan displayed immense courage by taking full moral responsibility for the NEET paper leak controversy and stepped down with dignity.
Pradhan submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister citing the need to uphold transparency, respect the sentiments of protesting students, and reduce national tension surrounding the examination process. He maintained that the future of the nation’s youth remains paramount.
Meanwhile, the protesting organization, CJP, announced the end of its demonstration following talks with the government. Their primary demands included a ₹1 crore compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide, immunity from legal action for protesting students, concrete examination reforms, and strict accountability for responsible officials.
The Union government is now preparing to introduce a new amendment bill in Parliament featuring stringent legal provisions to prevent future paper leaks.
